Mexican Quinoa

A friend of mine made this dish and I loved it so much I had to make my own variation. Quinoa has so many benefits! Its a High quality protein with the nine essential amino acids, gluten-free and is low on the glycemic index. It cooks up in about 15-20 minutes and tastes great re-heated as well. It makes 6-8 servings, so I will be enjoying this all week long. So, here is my variation of this great dish. There are so many ingredients and ways to make this, plus it tastes fantastic!

Ingredients:

1 lb 99% fat free ground chicken

1 cup uncooked, pre-rinsed quinoa
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red pepper

1/2 red onion

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 tsp chili powder - no salt
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup chopped green onion

1 jalapeño (optional) add to taste

For topping:
Chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped green onion

Optional additions:

1 tsp greek yogurt for topping

Black olives

Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan cook quinoa according to the directions, omitting 1/4 cup water to replace with the green chilies once it comes to a boil. Once boiling, add quinoa and green chilies. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed. 

2. In the mean time, in a large skillet, brown ground chicken on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes

3. Add in red pepper, jalapeño, red onion, chili powder and salt cooking for 5 minutes

4. Add in black beans and corn and continue to cook for 5 more minutes
5. Then add in cooked quinoa and cook for an additional 5 minutes
Stir in cilantro and green onion just before serving.

Need Some Motivation!?

Every year that passes, every month that passes - it is becoming more and more evident to me that each day is a gift. Regardless of my mood, what I may be facing or negative things that may be happening in my life, I have the ability to push through and persevere. Why, because I am a daughter of the King and God is my rock. How, by walking away from what does not benefit me, by taking a leap of faith and by facing my fears and the unknown. Once you define your why in life, your how becomes that much bigger. I have heard, read and watched videos, books and blogs about complacency and being comfortable, and that is not how life is intended to be lived. Until that becomes a truth for you - you are
quite possibly preventing growth and your own innate passions and gifts are being subdued. The time to start something new and embark out of your comfort zone is never going to be put in your calendar or fall in your lap, you have to decide, commit and create the time.

Let's face it we have all become comfortable in our relationships, our jobs, our marriages, our day-to-day life. When we continue to perpetuate this cycle we are never allowing ourselves the opportunity to live out our full potential - our untapped greatness that God has prepared for us on this great adventure of life. Yes, it takes sacrifice and sometimes it takes walking away from a job or a friend or maybe everything you have so far in life, but it will be worth it in the end.  Trust me, there are days where I wake up and I feel unmotivated, stagnant or just plain tired of life. Sometimes, I feel like I am running a race, somewhere in the middle of the pack, not being pushed too hard but also not falling behind according to America's standards. Its comfortable, most days its easy, but when I live my days like this I am stifling my character and passions and allowing life to take over, rather then creating the life I want.

On days like this, I have two options: 1. allow my complacency and lack of motivation to consume me and to go through the motions, OR 2. I have the choice to find something to add value and happiness to my life. On days like this, I like to take time to do some self-development. Read, pray, do a devotion. I am talking about 5 to 10 minutes tops - not a huge chunk of time just a little time to get re-focused. Plus, let's face it, I cannot sit still to save my life, so for me taking 5-10 minutes is completely doable and completely justified. I also like to go through and read inspirational quotes and  look at inspirational pictures.

Here are some great motivation quotes, find your favorite and put it on a sticky note on your mirror or in your car, or in your purse. Somewhere that you can read it whenever you need a reminder:

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. –Napoleon Hill

Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. –Albert Einstein

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. –Wayne Gretzky

Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. –Charles Swindoll

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. –Steve Jobs

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. –Maya Angelou

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. –Mark Twain

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily. –Zig Ziglar

Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. –Jesus

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me. –Erma Bombeck

Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. –Farrah Grand

"Every time you stay out late; every time you sleep in; every time you miss a workout; every time you don't give 100% - You make it that much easier for me to beat you." - Unknown

"You can have results or you can have your excuses. You cannot have both." - Unknown

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated." - Unknown

I also like to read Bible verses that motivate me, even if you do not read the Bible or maybe you do not know where you start, you can always look in the index in the back of your Bible and just find one topic and one verse to focus on for the day. Here are some great verses:

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

.

Isaiah 40:31 - But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Matthew 19:26 - But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Mark 9:23 - And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we van imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Today, I went for  run and listened to this motivational video, there are tons of them on YouTube so you can find one for a topic that may hit closer to home for you. This video was so inspiring and uplifting - give it a listen during your next workout or run, hopefully it will motivate you as much as it did me:

 Happy Tuesday!!

True Picture of Health - Matters of the Heart

I have kept quiet on the subject of what healthy looks like for a long time, but I just have to get these thoughts off my chest. Health is a very specific and unique circumstance to each person, and not something that you can or should judge based solely on outward appearance.  I am not writing this with any negative intention, just to express my viewpoint on the subject. God has blessed us with a body, mind and soul - it is up to each of how we choose to feed these things. When it comes to the body there are always potential or current health circumstances that may promote the switch to a healthy lifestyle. To say that a person is obsessed when they exercise and eat healthy regularly is a misused term. The dedication and mental perseverance it takes to stick to a program and improve your overall health is a hard battle, and should be something that is celebrated. To insinuate that someone who does such things is unhealthy, possibly has an eating disorder or appears under nourished is an unjust accusation.


Health, is not based solely by the number on the scale or the size of your clothes - it involves many factors. Some of these factors can be broken down for you at a doctors office, but the true transformation of health starts with how you are feeding your mind and soul, not your body. Sometimes the emotional things you are dealing with are so heavy laden, that it may be best to focus on that before you focus on the health of your body. I have worked with challengers who are going through extremely difficult emotional circumstances, that sometimes may motivate them on the fitness front or other times may make it so that they are unable to continue the program.  Ever had a day where you cannot get out of bed or off the couch to save your life? Ever felt so mentally burdened by something that it is literally life consuming? Do I consider these situations as failures? Not even close - people in these situations deserve all the credit in the world for deciding to work on their heart and mind. The workouts will always be there when you are ready to pick them up - life begins when you do. For me - when I find myself in these situations, I have to re-direct my focus on my faith and allow God to lead. My mental and spiritual health needs to come first and foremost - the external and physical aspects will come in later.

When I hear someone say that they are depressed because of their weight or appearance, that indicates to me that there are matters of the heart that need to be addressed. I have found myself saying and thinking this. Our worth in this life is not based on appearance, but how you can pursue and lead a life of passion and positivity. This is something I need to work on and remind myself of everyday.  I have been seeing a therapist for several months now, working on understanding my habits and thought processes. I have been taking what I am learning about myself and applying that to my faith and daily regimen. Why, because we can always better ourselves in several areas of our lives. The journey that God has for me is unique to me. The picture of health for you, is unique to you. When I post before and after photos or pictures and results of challengers - it is simply to encourage and motivate others, not as a definite statement of 'this is what you need to look like'. God has created beauty in each of us, regardless of outward appearance.

So, in conclusion - please do not judge others based on how they look on the outside - it is matters of the heart that count and words can be extremely hurtful. Be mindful of others, but focus on your own development and own heart. Be authentic, take ownership of where you are and live life to the fullest - no room for negativity!

How to Meal Prep - 21 Day Fix Example

 Meal planning and prepping is essential for success. Why, because when you are not prepared or have to grab something in a hurry - you are prone to go to the drive-thru or eat junk food. I usually meal prep on Sundays and will plan out meals for myself and my husband (when he is up to it - he is a picky eater!).  The number one excuse I hear from people who are adverse to eating clean is, that it is expensive and time consuming. Well, I am here to show you that with just a few hours of your weekend you can prepare great meals that will allow you more time with your family and friends throughout the week.



The first step, before I do any of the shopping, is to fill out a meal plan and make a shopping list. Going to the store with a list is essential if you are watching your wallet. When I go without a plan and list in hand I find that I spend a lot more money, because I just grab a lot of things that sound good but don't necessarily equate to meals. Another tip to save money at the store is to make sure you eat before you go. When I shop hungry I put a lot more snacks and junk food in the cart!

Here is my meal plan for this coming week. I will be doing the 21 Day Fix and a workout hybrid with P90X3:

It took me about 45 minutes to plan out my meals and figure out the recipes that I wanted to make. For those of you who cook often, you know that this step can vary in time depending on how much research goes into deciding the meals. When you are planning for a family, this can get tricky - but what I have heard my challengers say is that they have been cooking their families the same food and found that they eat and enjoy it more than they would have ever thought. 

I opt to go to Sprouts or Whole Foods (when my budget allows) because they have a lot of fresh produce and good meat selection. Today, I went to Sprouts - I love to shop in their bulk section for my nuts and to use the freshly ground nut butters they also have. This is perfect when you are planning out for one week and do not need a $7-$10 bag of nuts or an entire jar of nut butter. It's great for someone who is cooking for 1 or 2. 

Grocery List:

8 Eggs

Nitrite Free Turkey Slices

Ezekiel 12 Inch Tortillas

Loose Spinach

3 Peppers (assorted colors)

1.5 lbs of Ground Turkey (99% FF)

Brown Rice

1 Sweet Onion

1 Garlic

1 Head of Cabbage

1 16 oz can diced Tomatoes

1 Can Tomato Paste

1 Cantaloupe

Strawberries

Watermelon

Blueberries

Cashews

Almonds

Grilled Chicken

Quinoa Pasta

EVOO

Coconut Oil

Greek Yogurt

Sweet Potatoes

Cucumber

Grated Parmesan

Almond Milk

Peanut Butter

TOTAL COST: $49.57

Total time spent at store: 30 minutes

I like to put two meals that require cooking on my meal plan and two that are simple - that I can throw together in about 10 minutes, so it does not need to be cooked now. This week I needed to make pasta with grilled chicken and a cabbage dish with ground turkey. I put some of the cooked ground turkey to the side, to use on my sweet potato lunch. I used a lot of the same veggies in both dishes so it was a lot simpler. I also bought the pre-minced garlic and the pre-shredded bag of cabbage to save on cutting time. I cut up the cantaloupe and divided out the nuts as well. I also opted to make a quick cucumber salad that would be a good addition to my sweet potato meal. To cook both meals simultaneously and clean up took me about an hours time. 

Then I portioned out the meals into tupperware containers, so that I can just grab them and go.  

Now, all I have to do is open my fridge and all of my lunches and dinners are ready for me to eat or make in less than 10 minutes. 

So,  total time spent including prepping and shopping was 2 1/2 hours and I spent just under $50. Now, I have almost all of my meals readily available to me, which will be HUGE for my success at following the plan this week. 

So, let me breakdown the cost:

$50 in groceries

+ 

$28 in Shakeology for the week 

= $78. 

$78

Divided by

21 meals

= $3.71 a meal

The cost of each meal is only $3.71 - for natural, whole, healthy foods that are nutritious. Not a double cheeseburger, fries and a drink that would run me more money and add no health or value to my body. 

So, what's your excuse? I have challengers who have small children, large families, who work full-time and have very busy lives - just like the rest of us. They have made this lifestyle a habit, incorporated it into their homes and families and are seeing the benefits! Not only are they healthier, their families are eating healthier, they are losing weight, inches and are able to devote time to working out and exercising, because all the meals are planned ahead. If you are scared of the time and money that clean-eating takes - don't be! You can make this work for any budget and any lifestyle. If you are interested in joining a Clean-Eating Challenge Group, send me a message via the Contact Me Tab at the bottom of this page. 

Happy Sunday! Happy Planning!

What's With All This Talk About Coconuts?

Okay, is it just me or has the topic of coconuts been coming up everywhere!? Oil pulling, coconut milk, coconut butter, coconut oil and now I just discovered the mecca of it all MCT Oil.  I have heard of the benefits of adding coconut oil to my food last Summer, but this concept has really started to explode, so I wanted to sum of the common uses and benefits to this amazing 'superfood'!

So,  coconut oil can be used for many things:

1. For cooking
2. As a skin moisturizer
3. As a hair pomade
4. For oil pulling (I will talk about this a little later)
5. As a make-up remover
6. As a sweetener substitute

The benefits go on and on, but here are the major ones:

1. Maintain your SKIN/COMPLEXION
2. May promote HEALTHY BRAIN FUNCTION, in fact there was a recent study that suggests it may help with Alzheimers (Newport, Alzheimer's Disease: What if There Was a Cure?)
3. Great for supporting the THYROID
4. Great for your HEART
5. Can aid in WEIGHT LOSS and
6. Can help speed up your METABOLISM

Not to get too detailed on this, but the reason why coconut oil is so amazing is that it contains Lauric Acid and MCT's. Lauric acid is converted once in your body and can potentially destroy viruses, flu and even herpes and HIV. The MCT's assist in reducing body fat, which helps with weight loss. They also help mitigate insulin and glucose sensitivities. Which brings me to my newest discovery, MCT Oil. I purchased a bottle of this oil from my local Vitamin Cottage, it is 100% pure Medium Chain Triglycerides that are found in coconut oil. It is suggested that this oil increases your energy and lowers fat storage in the body. I have started adding a tablespoon to my Shakeology each morning to put it to the test. I will do a blog report on this in about 30 days to see if I notice a difference. The bottle I bought was around $18 and has 63 tablespoons in it, so about .29 cents a serving. Worth every penny given the potential benefits!

Now, onto a topic that makes me a little queasy to think about, but people have been raving about - Oil Pulling. Essentially what this is taking a tablespoon of coconut  oil and swishing it in your mouth for 20 minutes. Then spitting it out. If you do this everyday it is supposed to help with your breath and improve your overall oral hygiene. I have not gotten the courage to try this yet, because I am a total consistency and texture girl, so I am a little fearful. Planning on giving this a try and will report my results!

If you looking for way to incorporate coconut into your daily diet, you can purchase butters, water, milk, and oil from almost any grocery store. There are some great ways to incorporate it into your recipes, but here is one of my all time favorites it super simple and perfect for hot days in the Spring and Summer - the kids will love it too!

Coco-Berry Sorbet

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
2 tbsp coconut butter
1 tbsp coconut milk













Steps:
1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender
2. Enjoy!

*Recipe and some info derived from BetterNutrition Magazine