Paleo Pancakes

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Healthy Food Fit Family

Week 1 Becoming Extraordinary Review

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Paleo Cream Sauce

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Italian Squash

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Creamy Chicken

2 Onions
4 Large Carrots
Bunch of fresh green beans washed and cut
Chicken 

Can of coconut milk

Spices

1C Chicken broth

Clean and cut onions and carrots. Saute in a pan with oil until cooked through. 
Place chicken in pan and cook on low. About 10 minutes, flip half way through.
Add coconut milk, broth and spices. (These can be changed up depending on what your in the mood for! More info below)
Simmer on low for 30 min. Add Green beans in the last 5 minutes.
Enjoy by itself of over brown rice.

Spice options:
Curry powder
Chili powder
Old bay
Onion/garlic powder
Pepper

Easy lunch!

Made an AWESOME meal today!!
Took chicken, put it in a pan with some evoo.
Cooked it up, added salt and pepper and some jalapeños (the ones in the jar)
Take just the chicken out of the pan and put on a plate
Added an sliced onion. Covered and turned it down to low to caramelize (20 min or so)
added the jalapeños and onions to the chicken plate
Cooked a sweet potato in the microwave.
Ate all of this together...it was SO GOOD! I could eat this everyday! I was needing something to switch up the taste of chicken and this was it!

Orange smorange

Breakfast! 

Orange Julius anyone?

1C Almond milk

1/2C Egg whites

splashvanilla 

2 oranges 

ice

Chicken Cutlet Parmesan

In our house, Sundays are all about Italian food. My husband spends hours (not exaggerating) in the kitchen cooking some amazing, classic italian dishes! Eggplant parmesan, meatballs, sauce, bread... and my all time favorite- chicken cutlet parmesan! I LOVE it and could eat it all day....erry day.
Today I decided to keep it as clean as possible. I was hoping for Paleo but that will take some more time to figure out. This is seriously the easiest recipe ever.
*We make so much sauce, we use it all week. In the recipe below Im adding a shortened version of our family recipe (cant give any secrets away!)

Chicken Cutlet Parmesan

2 Servings

4 Chicken breast fillets- defrosted
1C Almond flour
2 C Sauce (homemade or store bought)
Grated Parmesan

Sauce
1Tomato sauce (no high fructose corn syrup)
2Tomato paste (no HFCS)
1C water
1 clove garlic chopped
Basil and oregano to cover
Extra virgin olive oil

Sauce: Sauté Garlic in oil until soft. Add tomato cans and water. Add seasoning to cover sauce. Stir and simmer for 10 min.

Preheat oven to 350.
Coat chicken in almond flour
Bake 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Cover with sauce
Sprinkle with a bit of Parm.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Get your food on

YOU CAN REPROGRAM your taste buds!! By replacing your old junky foods with healthier ones you can change the way your brain processes tastes in 1-2 weeks! ALSO, just because you hated something as a child or even last year does not mean you will hate it today! Try new things and try them often! We are setting good examples for our families, spouses, children and friends! 

Keep it up! Healthier changes are being made everyday! Stick with it!

Monday Mommy Transformation

-What was your life like before you started your journey to better health? 
Before I started my journey I was a very athletic person, so I just played sports and being fit just came without thought. I could eat whatever I wanted and it never really crossed my mind if it was good for my body or not.

-What motivated you to make a change? I first started to make my change around my junior year of college, I was 21 years old.  I was not playing sports in college so I had really put on some pounds and I could see on the scale and in pictures but also in the fit of my clothes and my mood. At that point I just started eating healthier things and making it a point to get the campus gym in between classes each day during the week and I was successful for a while until I got married and moved to Florida.  My husband and I would cook all the time and I didn't add a ton of weight back, but it was definitely noticeable and then I got pregnant and I was one of those people who had that thought "oh I am pregnant so this is a free pass to eat whatever I wanted and just to sit around and relax". (Never time around, I will have a totally different outlook!!) So then I had my son and when he was about 3 months old I still had a lot of weight on my body. With the pregnancy I gained about 50 pounds and at that 3 months mark I had only lost about 20 of it, so that is when I made the decision then to make a change not only for myself but for my son and husband. At that point I was extremely out of shape so I started walking with my son in the jogging stroller everyday and I would slowly increase the amount of time I was jogging and I would do some light lifting at home with hand weights. After that I decided I needed more so I joined a gym with one of my friends that offered childcare while I worked out, this gave me more time and more options when it came to working out. I also really concentrated on my food and picking healthier options.

-How do you involve your family in your journey?  Now that my son is two and is really active, I take him to the park at least twice a week and run the 1.75 loop around the park with him a couple times with the promise that he gets to play on the playground after and he loves it and I get a great workout in.  When it comes to my husband I just had to explain to him what my goals were and how he could support me because when it comes to him he is one of those people that have a really high metabolism and he can eat whatever he wants and do whatever and still remain skinny. He has been very supportive with helping me cook healthier meals and watching my son so I can go to the gym. And as our son gets older we are trying to incorportate more active activities into our lives as a gamily.

-What is your biggest accomplishment so far? My biggest accomplishment so far is not eating any fried foods for a year and a half.  I made this resolution for myself and have stuck to it. Also, I am 4 sizes smaller than I was in highschool/pre-baby!  I also ran my first 5K when my son was about 7 months old and have been running them ever since.

-Who inspires you? My son is my biggest inspiration. When I am fit and active, I feel happier and healthier and it all rubs off on him because he deserves to have the healthiest and happiest mommy.  Also, all of my friends who have decided to live an active and healthy life. I love to read about their journeys, what they are doing and to take from their experiences things that I can incorporate into my own life.

-When your in a slump what do you do to shake it?  I plan. I sit down and plan out my meals and workouts. It makes me feel more in control of everything and it helps me focus. Then once I accomplish everything on that first day, I check it off and have that feeling of "I can do this!"

-What future goals do you have for yourself? Have a couple more babies and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle before, during and after pregnancy. I am at a weight that I am happy with right now, so I really would like to just get more toned!

-How did you do it? At first just running with my son and doing at home workout videos and light lifting. Now I continue to run with my son but I also go to the gym and cross-train on different cardio machines and weight light 3 times a week. Food wise I tracked all of my food at first to see the types of nutrients that I was consuming and how many calories I was consuming. Now I just make healthier choicess and really examine everything before I eat it since I have more knowledge on more foods.

-What is one of your favorite recipes? Turkey stuffed peppers, Turkey chili, Teriyaki pineapple chicken sandwhiches, Chicken & veggie kabobs on the grill and ANY crockpot recipe that I can tweak to be clean and yummy!!

ENERGYbits!

A while back I was watching an episode on the Discovery Channel where Andew Zimmern gave an inside look of a Spirulina Algae farm. He spoke of its benefits and how natural it was for your body...then I wondered where the heck would I ever find something like that and then changed the channel.
Fast forward a couple years later...

After seeing Energybits all over Twitter I decided to look into it since I'm always looking for new items in health and fitness. Turns out Energy Bits are just little bits of algae that are taken to improve energy and overall health. The best part is the ingredients- Spirulina Algae. Thats it! ONE calorie per bit and ONE ingredient to help increase energy and all 100% natural.
This all natural product works a lot like a cup of coffee or energy drink without that crappy feeling your left with after the caffeine has worn off. Talk about a miracle!
So what exactly are Energybits? 

Made from 100% organicallly grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab.

What is even more appealing is that this isn't considered a supplement, its actually a food...we all know how much I love food!

My Experience with Energy Bits:
Being that I live overseas I find it hard to find new things to try so I was hoping I'd get this chance! I received an email response from Jonathan Levitt, Brand Manager/Pro Sports soon after contacting him.  I was immediately excited when I was offered the chance to try out Energybits!

As a mom to 2 boys, I am constantly trying to boost my energy through out the day and once I cut coffee from my daily diet I noticed a bit of a slump towards the afternoon...Here enters Energy bits! I need to get up with my boys at 530am make it through the day (workout) and well into the night with my newborn.

Heres how you take them:

For best results, take at least 30 ENERGYbits® (or more) before any workout, run, game or intense physical or mental activity. They will improve your energy and endurance. Also take whenever you are tired, hungry or don’t have time to eat or cook. They are a terrific high protein, low calorie snack or meal on the go.  A favorite of Olympic athletes. Swallow with beverage or chew them as you would a handful of nuts. Remember, they’re “bits” of food (not pills).”

The Energy Bits website lays everything out and explains exactly how every person, be it athletes, children, or moms like me, can benefit from Spirulina Algea. Thats right...I said children. When I read that I was completely blown away! Not only can you stop a cold from getting worse but they help prevent them as well!
Algae has the same nutrients as leafy green vegetable so what better way to give your entire family a boost of nutrients and protein!

Day 1 and 2
I was given enough to take them 2x so I popped open my cute little tin on Tuesday and Wednesday morning and gave it a go. The first day I decided to try chewing some for the heck of it (they recommend swallowing them because you'll end up with some green in your mouth). I figured either way my son would get a kick out his mom's tongue being completely green!

BAD IDEA! The taste was kind of like a pork rind (weird huh?) and my mouth was definitely green!
I would also recommend swallowing them! 4 or 5 at a time would be pretty easy with a glass of water.  (Although It would be more convenient if they were combined into maybe 1-2 pills instead of 30!) Once I finished I went about my day! I did my workout, ran some errands, took my son to the park and made a late dinner....THEN stayed up taking care of my new little man. To see what Skinnyfitchick thought about Energybits click here.

The end result
I didn't feel the drop in energy like I usually do around 3pm (the one where I just cant seem to keep my eyes open) so this is what I needed. Even though I didn't feel more energized in my workout than I usually do, I felt it more through out the length of the entire day (maybe a placebo effect?)

I would also add that I believe 2 days of taking the Energybits isn't going to give me the best impression of this product. I'm sure taking these over a period of time and getting the nutrients in your system would help gauge the amount of energy I could have.

Energybits can be found HERE and on FACEBOOK

**I was given this product free of charge to review. I did not promise a positive review nor was I paid to endorse this product. These opinions are solely my own. 

Monday Mommy Transformation

This week Im featuring Jessica's journey! Ive been following her on facebook for quite a while so when I heard she was a Sweat Pink Ambassador I jumped at the chance to share her story! Enjoy!!

What was your life like before you started your journey to better health? 

Before I started my journey to health & fitness I was depressed. I had no self esteem, self worth or confidence in myself. I didn't know anything about being healthy or how to eat clean. I always thought "eat less, weigh less" and I tried ever diet pill, extreme diet etc you can think of! I would lose weight a lot of the time but gain it right back & usually double.

What motivated you to make a change? Well, I started my journey in September 2010 for the first time at the weight of 181 ...and I admit back then it was for the wrong reasons..I just wanted to get skinny then. I didn't even consider fit. By December 2010 I was down 29 lbs but in January 2011 found out I was pregnant with twins. While pregnant I changed my whole outlook. I researched fitness & healthy eating..I was very motivated to get it right this time. After I had my twins August 19th, 2011 I walked out of the hospital at 183. I was motivated bigger than life!! I had 6 weeks of C-section recovery time and it was HARD to keep myself recovering! Haha. Having my daughters changed everything for me. I wanted to get healthy for them..I wanted to set an example for them. I never wanted to be too out of shape to keep up with them! So..this time..I did it for the right reasons..my daughters!

How do you involve your family in your journey? I have a jogging stroller & on the weekends I will take the girls out on a run with me. Or my husband, me & the kids will take long walks on this gorgeous trail we have where we live. Also, I love doing races so my family is always on the sidelines cheering me on :) 

What is your biggest accomplishment so far? This one if tough for me because everything I have accomplished so far is far beyond my wildest expectations!! But, I used to hate running so knowing I found a passion in that..is a great accomplishment in my eyes. 

Who inspires you? My daughters mostly! And other moms who set aside excuses & make it happen!

When your in a slump what do you do to shake it? Remind myself where I started. I never want to be that unhealthy person again so giving up is not an option!

-What future goals do you have for yourself? I have SO many! I love strength training so really challenging myself in the weight room is one. Also, I  have been training for a marathon that I will take on in 2013. In a few years when my daughters are older I really want to train & compete in a bikini competition..my reason for waiting on that is my daughters. They are only babies once & I do not want to miss one minute of them growing up!! But, I WILL do it someday!! For now, my goals are just to keep up in the gym 5 days a week, get my long runs in on Sundays and be healthy, happy, eat clean & train mean!

How did you do it? No excuses!!! I don't always have the time to workout or eat clean, I mean my whole journey has been while my daughters were infants...but it's important to me so I do it!! I get up at 4 am before my husband or the babies are up and I get my butt in the gym. I prep my food daily and journal everything. I don't let myself have excuses because when I do that's when things crumble!

What is one of your favorite recipes? Jamie Eason's turkey muffins...I'm obsessed :)

Click HERE to check her out on Facebook!
Instagram: jessicansmith12 

Meal Prep

This MEAL PREP post can be found by clicking:

Thankful Thursdays

During the month of November Ill be doing my Thankful Thursday Link up with some other blogs. This is a way to really keep my heart and head where it belongs and remember what is important.

• This week I am thankful for the safety of my family. As many of you know my husband, mother and sister were all visiting family in NY and NJ this past weekend and their trips took a horrible turn with the arrival of Sandy. Every single person Im related to (minus my brother and father) were affected by Sandy. I feel for all the families that have lost things they hold dear. {Red cross donations can be made HERE}
• I am thankful for my children. For the first time I am a mom to 2 boys and taking care of them alone has been quite the learning lesson! I am reminded to be patient and understanding. 
• Im thankful for will power! Halloween has been a true test to that! With many pounds of candy sitting on my table (and my son constantly looking over it) I am tempted by the smells of chocolate and sour treats. I've stayed strong and avoided eating any!
• Im thankful for the Navy. The men and women on this base have kept us safe through the bomb threats made earlier this week. As frustrating as some of it may be, I feel safer knowing we are protective by brave men and women on a daily basis. 
• I am so thankful for my friends. I have an amazing group of ladies doing a Paleo challenge that started this week! Even though I may not actually know many of them, Im glad to have their support and support them on a daily basis! Keeps me honest and ready for more!

Roasted Veggies

Today for lunch I wanted something quick and easy and was craving eggplant...did you know you can still crave items while breastfeeding? Who knew! I've never roasted anything before so I was praying I wouldn't ruin all the fresh vegetables Id just cut up. This was so satisfying! I kept thinking how amazing it was that I was eating all vegetables and they were so good!

1 Eggplan
1 Golden Zucchini
1 tomato
1Tbs Coconut oil
Seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash tomato basil)

Preheat oven to 425. Slice and place all vegetables in a bowl. Add coconut oil and seasonings, stir to coat. Lay in a single layer on pan. Cook for 30-40 minutes. turning half way through.

Paleo Chicken Curry

I've realized I dont really like following recipes...kind of makes my brain hurt! lol I mean I'm sure there are hardly any real original recipes anymore but I like to think I can come up with some good ones on my own! Tonight was one of those times! I had chicken defrosted and wanted something comforting to eat. I had curry and coconut milk...thats all it took.

3 Chicken breasts cut up
3Tbs Curry powder
1 Large onion
1C Mushrooms chopped
1C Carrots chopped
1C Cauliflower
1Tbs Coconut oil
1C chicken stock
1 Can coconut milk

Place oil in pan and add onions and carrots, saute until soft. Add chicken. Cover and cook through. Add stock, cauliflower and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. Add Coconut milk and let cook on low for 10 minutes.

I put some cauliflower in the food processor and blended to make "rice" but didnt cook it..not the best idea. My son and I did not care for it! I may cook it a bit next time!

I did cook up an acorn squash in the microwave (cut in half, in a dish with 1/4c water covered for 10 min) and the curry tasted great over that!

Snackeroo

Being half a world away from my husband and most of my family during Sandy has got me stressing. I usually eat and EAT A LOT when Im stressed (Im the girl that gained 15 pounds the first 2 months of my pregnancy..when I was told I wasn't pregnant).

This time I've been trying to focus on good choices, better options and staying sane. Today I was out and needed a quick (Paleo friendly) snack and found these!! Its a bag full of amazingness! I literally walked the isles not wanting actual fruit (too messy to drive with) and just something that tasted great and was easy. Check out those ingredients! Some of the things listed that I LOVE!

• No sugar added
• I can eat the WHOLE bag (score!)
• Kids love them!
• Cheapola- $2.50
• Kosher...thats always a plus right!?

These are amazing! There were 4 other flavors bit I tried the mixed pack. I couldn't get enough and finished them by the time I was home! So crunchy they could be used as cereal with some coconut milk. Im going to attempt to make some dried fruit on my own but for a quick snack for school, on the go or in front of the TV these are great! 

PPP Paleo

I am finding that going Paleo has been quite easy. I dont miss my oats (they were a pain to make) or my Rice (again I hated making it). I do miss my condiments...soy sauce! Its been 3 days and I don't feel like too much has changed in my eating and I feel great! The fact that I don't have to look at ingredients is nice! I just eat REAL FOOD...crazy concept huh? the last couple days have looked a bit like this:

M1: Omelet with spinach and tomato

M2: Nuts

M3: Salad and veg with oil, vinegar and mustard dressing

M4: Seaweed

M5: Chicken in mustard dressing marinade with veggies...so good!

Monday Mommy Transformation

What was your life like before you started your journey to better health? 

My life wasn't terrible. For the most part I enjoyed it and lived very carefree. I had a wonderful husband and two beautiful, healthy children. But there was a lot of self doubt. Wondering if I'd be able to keep up with my kids if I continued in my current state. Wondering if I could ever truly love myself the way I was.

What motivated you to make a change?

I distinctly remember a conversation with a friend upon my husband receiving orders to Guam. "All of the mommies are very into fitness here," she said. Honestly, hearing that was like a terrible nightmare for me. I had visions of sitting on the beach, pale and tired looking, wearing my 'mom suit.' It was then I knew something had to give. I started the Couch to 5K program in May 2011 but didn't pick up weightlifting until November 2011. Though I have not continued to run since completing C25K in July 2011, I credit that as my official 'start.' 

How do you involve your family in your journey? 

Though I do most of my workouts during school hours, there are times I utilize the family fitness room at our gym. My five-year-old son will often stand beside me using the small dumbbells and telling me about his big muscles. He has witnessed my transformation from the start and enjoys looking at my pictures with me and telling me how I'm shrinking. Also, being fairly new to clean eating myself, I am striving to slowly change the eating habits of my children to match my own. There is a lot of trial and error, and they do have the occasional happy meal, but I am looking to help them strike a balance so that they do not struggle with food addiction the way I have. 

What is your biggest accomplishment so far?

As much as I hate to pin numbers on this sort of thing, my biggest accomplishment would have to be the 52 pounds that have vanished from my body. In all my life, I have never lost more than 20 pounds at any given time. Knowing that I have overcome that number hurdle gives me such a satisfying feeling. And knowing that I didn't subsist on carrot sticks and meal replacement shakes(like I had in the past) and that I have ENJOYED this ride means, to me, that I'm doing something right.

Who inspires you?

Many people inspire me but I'd have to say that my two-year-old daughter takes the cake. I look at her, so young and so openminded, and know that I have to set the example for her. It is my job to teach her, and my son, how to find balance so that they can enjoy life while living it in a healthy way .

When you're in a slump what do you do to shake it?

This one is easy! I go into the gym and I pick up, to the pound, how much weight I've lost. Holding that in my hands and feeling the heaviness of it is like a slap in the face! I've also recently taken on a workout partner. I don't need the motivation to actually get to the gym, but she knows how to push my buttons to get me to work harder if I'm slacking off.

What future goals do you have for yourself?

My functional fitness goal is unassisted pull-ups. I would also like to do more cross training to become a more well-rounded athlete. 

How did you do it?

Balance, preparation, hard work and a positive mindset. There is no secret, nor magic pill that will do the work for you.

What is one of your favorite recipes?

I have a lot of favorites but since I prepare my chicken ahead of time, this one only takes five minutes. It's great for a quick lunch!

1 chicken breast, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 tbsp. plain greek yogurt

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of those together to form a delicious chicken salad!

Challenge

I've decided that it would be fun to take part in a clean eating / Paleo challenge. I've been eating clean for the last year now and I love that I'm actually one of those people that can say its a lifestyle. It just comes naturally and I don't really put much thought into it anymore!

Going Paleo...that's a whole new world for me. I would need to eliminate my grains: brown rice and oats ( I eat both daily), Dairy: yogurt(I don't eat often) and cottage cheese. I'm still looking into it and learning the spa and fonts but I think to just try it would be good. I love doing this so I can speak to an experience and have my own opinion and understanding. It starts Monday so hopefully by then I'll have everything in order!

In the group of girls doing this challenge I will be checking in daily with workouts, eating and how things are going. Along with being held accountable It'll be nice to see what everyone else is up to and how they are doing! I look forward to swapping recipes and tips! 
Here are some helpful sites to get more information.  

*What is the Paleo Diet?
*What is Clean Eating?
*Breastfeeding and Paleo

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