Category — Breakfast

Each Beachbody program comes with a nutritional guide, but I think the P90X2 Nutritional Guide is so much more – and especially for anyone that is trying to eat grain-free or vegan. It can be hard! Eat like an athlete to achieve your goals. The P90X2 Nutrition Guide is all new, easily customizable, and geared for athletic performance. Flexible daily menus let you pick the balance of foods that works for YOUR body. This amazing tool for your healthy life change includes:

• Provides nutritional guidance specifically designed for high-level athletic performance
• Choose from 3 customized plans: Fat Shredder 2.0, Energy Booster 2.0, and Endurance Maximizer 2.0
• Includes more than 50 recipes to get you started
• Includes vegan and grain-free options

For every low-quality choice we eliminated from the portion lists, we added two healthy and delicious choices. You’ll find new fats, snacks, proteins, and more.

The three calorie “levels”—1,800, 2,400, and 3,000—are still there, as are the different macronutrient balances. However, given that the latest research is making the importance of dietary fat increasingly obvious, we upped the fat in all three “phases.” We’ve also redubbed them “plans,” because while we encouraged you to work your way up the three phases with P90X, by now you should have a pretty good idea what works best for you when it comes to performance, shedding fat, or both. In P90X2, you can just pick the one that works for you and run with it, changing plans whenever you feel like it.

I recommend this guide even if you are not doing P90X2. Everyone loves a good recipe, so we reached out to some of our favorite chefs, including Tony’s personal chef Melissa, of Karma Chow, has added her own amazing recipes to the mix,, and all of these amazing chef’s have designed a host of meals for every occasion. In this new guide, you’ll find scores of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, soups, salads, and Shakeology recipes. There are plenty of recipes to suit all dietary approaches.

Today I had an amazing quinoa and veggie recipe for lunch, and if you are looking for a change, look no further. Order the P90X2 Nutritional Guide.

Technorati Tags: grain-free eating for fitness, healthy grain-free eating, healthy vegan eating

New Challenge Packs drop for our challenges on Thursday, Feb. 2nd. (which also happens to be the first day of the Everett Fit Club for our team!!)

I am so proud of the fact that you can get everything you need via Beachbody when you sign up for a challenge pack.  When I started my journey back to health after my daughter was born and I had slid down the path to really unfit and really depressed – I had nothing to support me. It was just me. Staring in the mirror every morning was this person I didn’t even know. But I think that’s where these Challenge packs come from. They include everything you need. You get the fitness program that you choose. The one you’ll stick with. Without the commitment you will not get there. You get the club membership trial that gives you the meal planning to help you with this most important component — nutrition. You get the support of the Team Beachbody community and your coach, ME! And of course you get the amazing Shakeology that balanced out my hormones, gave me the nutrition I was lacking and helped me start to see results. And coming in March you’ll have a new flavor to choose from, and it’s Vegan. Tropical Strawberry!! (this new flavor will be available on Feb 14th, but not in Challenge Packs until March)

The original Chocolate and Greenberry formulations took 2 years to create and it took atleast another year to get Shakeology Tropical Strawberry just right. Where the other 2 flavors are 150 calories, the new Tropical Strawberry Shakeology is only 130 calories per serving. The biggest change is that they replaced the grade 7 whey protein isolates with the most advanced (and highest bio-availability) vegan protein available in the world, fermented sprouted brown rice.

Just in case you’re new to Shakeology

Here are the benefits I’VE EXPERIENCED and you can expect if you drink it every day:

• Reduced cravings for junk food (especially sugar/sweets)
• Natural energy (not from stimulants!)
• Regulated blood-sugar levels (great for diabetics!)
• Reduced bodyfat
• Reduced cholesterol
• Reduced bloating and inflammation
• Improved digestion

A few other exciting changes

1. You’ll notice the new “Beachbody Ultimate” branding on this product. This means that the ingredients have THE HIGHEST bio-availability of any ingredients in the world! When you want THE BEST and don’t want to compromise, look for Beachbody Ultimate!
2. Shakeology Tropical is sweetened with tropical fruits like papaya, camu-camu, pineapple
3. SUMA root has been removed from this formula (this was a concern for some people because the ingredient causes false positives on athlete drug testing)

So what about the taste of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology?

It is delicious! It’s a great alternative to chocolate and greenberry. It also opens up all kinds of new possibilities on recipes! Aren’t you excited??

How much does Shakeology Tropical cost?

Because of the super premium brown-rice protein, the cost of Shakeology tropical is $129 per month (which is just over $4/day) compared to $120 for Chocolate/Greenberry Shakeology. Some people may think that’s expensive for a supplement but it depends on how you look at it. This is not just a supplement! It’s NUTRITION (with 17 grams of protein and 16 grams of carb) so consider if you can cut back on groceries, eating out, coffee, energy drinks, etc to come up with $4 a day. I was skeptical about price originally so I took advantage of the 30 day money back guarantee and tried it for 30 days. After the way I felt and saw my body slimming down, I found a way to fit it into my budget. Also, it’s actually cheaper than what you are going to pay at the gym for far less quality (this is a super dense nutritional food here!!)

Does Tropical Strawberry Shakeology still have the 30 day money back guarantee?

Yes – all products from Beachbody are backed up by a 30 day money back guarantee. You can literally try it for 30 days and if you’re not happy with it, send the empty bag back for a full refund!

Ready to Get In The Challenge?? CLICK HERE

Ready to try Shakeology?? CLICK HERE

Technorati Tags: Beachbody Challenge, Buy Beachbody Products, Shakeology Tropical Strawberry purchase, Team Beachbody Challenge Packs

Here is a seven-day diet plan for those of you that are struggling. Just mix and match meals that appeal to you from the selection below to meet your daily quota of 1,400 ish calories – and still stay satisfied. The ideas range from quick and easy to more sophisticated dishes.
Allowances per week (work these into your diet plan if you need them… but only if you need them.)
2 glasses of wine
1 chocolate bar
1 slice of cake

Breakfast

(You may include a glass of fruit juice diluted with 1/2 water with each option)

1.Reduced-sugar and reduced-sodiam beans with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes followed by a yogurt mixed with prunes or berries

2. 1 serving of baked summer fruits served with a yogurt, followed by a Wasa cracker with sliced apple. For the summer fruits bake raspberries,peach, strawberries and blackberries in a low oven for 30 minutes.

3. 1 bowl wheat flakes, topped with a handful of raisins and skimmed milk, followed by a glass of shakeology mixed with water, fresh strawberries and a chopped banana and ice.

4. 1 bowl  unsweetened granola with skimmed milk, followed by a slice of multigrain rye crispbread topped with sliced fresh pineapple and reduced fat cottage cheese.

5. 1 bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh chopped strawberries, followed by a bowl of fruit salad.

6. 2 slices whole grain bread topped with reduced-fat cottage cheese and canned pineapple chunks, followed by a bowl of fruit salad mixed with granola.

7. Shakeology (or other meal replacment drink) mixed with milk, ice, strawberries and a handful of cashews. (or your favorite recipe or green smoothie)

Lunch

1. 1 portion of brown rice salad. Brown rice mixed with chickpeas, canned tomatoes, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, a dash of Tabasco, a little diced onion, 1/2 clove garlic and 1 tbsp fresh basil

2. 1 bowl of canned potato and leek soup with a slice of French bread.

3. Veggie burger with lettuce, tomato, dressing, on bun served with baked yam.

4. 1 portion of rice noodles with mixed in mushrooms followed by mixed fruit salad.  (I like to add in sliced carrots and sliced spring onions).You can add in some soya sauce (I use something else on this)

5. Whole grain spaghetti, served with tomato and garlic pasta sauce a little Parmesan cheese, followed by a small serving of rice pudding topped with fresh strawberries.

6. 1 bowl canned lentil soup with 1 plain toasted or untoasted bagel filled with hummus and grated carrots.

7. Pita bread stuffed with alfalfa sprouts, chopped cucumbers and juicy cherry tomatoes, laced it with vegan mayonnaise or vegan basil pesto. You can prepare these ingredients in advance the night before or in the morning before leaving for work. Just store them separately in air-tight containers and do the stuffing when you’re ready to eat. Pair it up nicely with a glass of unsweetened almond, hemp nut or rice milk.

Dinner
(Follow each option with a piece of fruit if you like)

1. Beetroot, fennel and lemon risotto with aubergine salad (mix in beetroot and fennel to your lemon risotto) served with 1 portion of grilled aubergine salad.

2. Ratatouille and baked potato

3. Rainbow Salad. (Make rainbow salad from mixing spinach, sunflower seeds, raisins, shredded apple, shredded beets, firm tofu and your favorite pasta cooked al dente. For dressing, mix 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil with 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice.)

4. Leeks Braised with Wine and Garlic over whole grain pasta or quinoa.

5. Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/zesty_wheat_berry_black_bean_chili.html)
6. Beanburger pita pocket (1 grilled beanburger served inside a large wholegrain pita bread, stuffed with mixed salad leaves and topped with a tablespoon of low-fat Greek yogurt or veganaise flavoured with a squeeze of lime juice.)

7. Skillet Black Beans with Potatoes and Tortillas served with a great big green salad.

Technorati Tags: Eat Healthy, Monday Meal Planning, Vegetarian Weight Loss

With my new year program I am changing up my diet a little bit. For the last year I’ve done Shakeology for breakfast, but I’m going to move it to another meal. This year I’m going to workout, and then do oatmeal with protein powder, hemp nut milk and berries for breakfast.

I’m using the Apple Cinnamon (a good metabolism boost right there!) from Nature’s Path. You could easily use just plain old oats if you choose. My husband will be doing that. You may say, boring!! Yes I know that oatmeal will help you reduce your hunger during the morning, and help you stick to your diet. It’s the fiber. The fiber in the oats forms a gel to make you feel “filled up”. It’s also a whole grain that contains good minerals and phytonutrients including lignans, plant sterols and stanols and antioxidants. The lignans are helpful in protecting your heart while stanols help in normalizing blood cholesterol levels.

It’s also affordable You can buy oats in bulk for very little, whatever fruit is in season will be great in your cereal – and have you looked at Protein powder lately? Beachbody also offers a high quality whey protein, but you can start with what you can afford. And if you are vegan or vegetarian I’m going to recommend the best – the Sunwarrior Sprouted Brown Rice Protein I use every day. You could also look at the Swanson Oryzatein Brown Rice Protein which runs about $13 or the Vegan Proteins+ Vanilla which I really like. I’ll share why. I has a great mix of plant based proteins, including cranberry protein which I like to use as a vegan creatine source. Just one serving provides all 8 essential amino acids, 8 vitamins, 13 minerals and 20 grams of dietary protein for a leaner, healthier body. It is only about $16 as well. Great place for a vegan to start.

Your oatmeal will also help you in reducing the medication you take if you have diabetes. It is full of proteins and has about 50% of the amount of manganese a person requires in a day. Oatmeal also offers lots of iron, magnesium and thiamin. And unlike some of your breakfast options, there is absolutely no cholesterol in a bowl of instant oatmeal. Oatmeal is a high source of phosphorus where you can find 133 mg of phosphorus and 42 mg of magnesium in it. And let me tell you, many people skip a healthy post workout meal, but after working out it’s important to fuel your body within 30-45 minutes with protein and carbs, and that is another reason I like this meal.

If you would like more grat tips like this, join my Beachbody family or follow the blog. It’s free and easy to join Beachbody. Head over to http://JoinTheClub.JumpOnFitness.com and enjoy my weekly coach update emails just for being a part of my family.

Technorati Tags: Nature's Path Oatmeal, Oatmeal with berries and protein, Vegan Protein powder

Many of my clients find it’s easier to follow my most basic meal plan as follows:

Breakfast: Big Green Smoothie as follows:

Ingredients

2 cups kale

2 cups of collard greens

2 tbsp hempseeds

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 cup frozen pineapple pieces

1 scoop of Shakeology

2 cups unsweetened hemp nut milk

Directions:

In a high-powered blender (I use my Vitamix 5200) , combine greens, hempseeds, berries, pineapple, Shakeology and hempmilk.

Blend on high speed for 60 seconds or until smooth. Enjoy icy cold.

Snack: Glutenfreeda Apple Cinnamon with Flax oatmeal

Lunch: Shakeology

I use my GE Blender and mix 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk, 1 cup of unsweetened hemp nut milk and 1 scoop of Hemp Nut Milk.

Snack: Sliced Apples (or other fruit) with nut butter or handful of almonds

Dinner: Following my daily meal plan or the Beachbody Meal Planner.

It’s not rocket science, but it does take a little planning. Crock pot meals can make your dinners easy.

I don’t eat meat, but my husband and daughter still do. They only eat pastured, grass-fed products!! I refuse to feed them anything less. You can see a lot of the great foods that I cook up at Pinterest on my food board.

Technorati Tags: eat healthy meals, healthy big green smoothie recipe, my meal plan

One of my favorite juices comes from the beautiful Kris Carr and her Crazy Sexy Diet book. Her Make Juice, Not War Green Juice is delightful. She starts her morning with it every day, and this recipe makes 32 ounces. My only problem is that I hate cucumber – can’t get past that. Also am not really a pear fan. So here is my change up for this juice:

2 medium zucchini’s (peeled if you can’t find organic)

4 – 5 kale stalks

4 – 5 romaine leaves

4 celery stalks

1 – 2 big broccoli stems

1 – 2 apples

1″ piece (or less) of gingerroot
Juice all of the ingredients. You can also add spinach, parsley, broccoli sprouts, etc.

Drink and enjoy!

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Technorati Tags: Health, quick meal

• ½  cup gluten-free flour
• ½ c. quinoa flour (blend quinoa in a food processor, or just sub more gluten-free flour)
• 1 c. milk alternative (hemp, coconut, rice, almond)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 T. coconut oil (these turn out well with just 1 T. oil, as well)
• 1 T. flax meal mixed into 2 T. water

Mix and cook… how much easier could it get?? I recommend a griddle on Medium Heat and don’t let them stick. Brown on both sides and enjoy them with some fresh berries for a delightful breakfast.

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I love the ‘Thin Kitchen – Ingredients for Healthy Living’ book that you get from Team Beachbody when you sign up for the club membership – but I have to say that it’s very down the center. So I loved the idea of the healthy pancakes, but not all of the wheat. So here is my adaptation of their recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Gluten-Free Flour (if you don’t have a favorite you can do the Namaste Waffle and Pancake mix)

1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce (not the chunky kind)

1/4 cup of canola oil

2 cups of Sugar-free Coconut Milk

2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 cup of hulled hemp seeds

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix applesauce with oil and coconut milk.

2. Stir in baking soda, hemp seeds and flour. Mix until blended.

3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat (I prefer a griddle because I don’t have the touch for frying pans. My husband get them out clean every time on either. )

4. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle. Brown on both sides and serve.

Add a little organic fruit and if needed a little pure organic maple syrup on the top and enjoy this guilt-free version of a classic Sunday morning favorite.

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I know a gal that likes to do orange rolls every holiday for breakfast with her family. So this Halloween I decided to start a new tradition with our family, because although I love my husband’s pancakes – I wanted something easy for us so that we can enjoy the morning together. This is a sweet and custardy breakfast bake for breakfast or brunch. You go and assemble it the night before, so pulling together a delicious breakfast for your family Halloween morning is quick and easy.

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) day-old sprouted grain brad, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pint organic blueberries, divided
12 ounces Organic Valley Neufch̢tel or regular Organic Valley Cream cheese, softened Рyou decide the fat content
1/2 cup wildflower honey
8 pastured eggs
1 cup Organic Valley sour cream
1 teaspoon organic corn-free vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground organic cinnamon
2/3 cup rice or hemp milk
Organic Pure Maple syrup (optional)

Directions
Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries, reserving a few for garnish. In your medium or large mixing bowl, beat cheese and honey until smooth. Then beat in the pastured eggs, sour cream, vanilla and the cinnamon. Then gradually add rice milk until blended. Pour half over bread. Spread the rest of the remaining bread on top and then add the remaining cheese mixture. Cover and chill overnight or up to 24 hours.

Remove from your refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350ºF about 30 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for about 25 minutes longer. When a knife can be inserted near the center and it comes out clean you are done. Sprinkle the top with the reserved blueberries. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

I promise this organic delight will become your family favorite for holidays and you are on your way to a new family tradition that will be carried on for generations.

Technorati Tags: blueberries, brunch, holiday

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Technorati Tags: blueberries, brunch, holiday, quick meal