Stuffed Peppers

The thing I love about food is that what we really like about foods isn’t always just the taste, it’s the texture of a particular food we long for, especially when nature doesn’t create a paleo food with that same texture. Fortunately, nature gave us spaghetti squash so that takes care of that, but what about rice?

Cauliflower is the answer and it does it’s job quite well. Just pulverize in a food processor and voila you’ve got rice!

I used my rice this time in a mixture with ground turkey and other spices to fill up some bright peppers.

 

You need:

1 pound ground turkey

5 Bell peppers, 1 chopped, the others with tops cut off and hollowed out

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small head cauliflower

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 can diced tomatoes

salt to taste

for the sauce:

3 large tomatillos, quartered

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 jalapeños

1/2 can diced tomatoes

juice from one lime

salt to taste

 

pre heat oven to 350.

Brown and cook the turkey with a pinch of salt.

In a sauce pan, fill it with water and place in the tomatillos and jalapeños. Boil for 10 minutes.

In another pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.

Pulverize the cauliflower in a food processor and add it to the sauté pan. Add in the meat, tomatoes, and seasonings and stir. let cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally to meld flavors.

When the tomatillos and jalapeños are done boiling, strain them and place them in the food processor. Add cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice, and salt. Blend on high until the mixture becomes salsa like.

Add 1/4 cup of the sauce to the meat and veggie mixture and combine thoroughly.

Place the peppers that have been prepped into a Pyrex baking dish. Pour a bit of the sauce into the bottom of each pepper, then fill as full as possible with the meat mixture. Any left over can be placed outside the peppers. top off the peppers with a bit of the sauce.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until peppers are soft.

These can be made ahead of time and cooked later. Great for an easy oven pop in when you get home from work.

Grain Free Zucchini Friti

Have you ever had those lovely breaded and fried cuts of zucchini at a restaurant? Yum! Well I am bringing the restaurant to your house, and taking the bread out of it.

These were delish with some sugar free marinara sauce on for dipping! ( Yes pasta sauce often has sugar in it. Look at labels before you buy)

Note: After looking at the ONE picture I took of these before we devoured them all, I am wishing I would have made them more presentable… oh well. Eat up!

You need:

1 Zucchini squash

1 cup blanched almond flour

2 eggs

1 tbsp water

Salt to taste

OR

2 tsp Cavanders Greek seasoning

Frying oil ( I use a mixture of olive and coconut)

 

1) Cover a large skillet with oil to about an inch. Heat the oil to 350.

2) Cut the zucchini into thin fry-like strips about 2-3 in long.

3) In a small bowel, whisk the eggs and water till smooth

4) In a small bowel , combine almond flour and seasoning, mix well

5) Dredge the zucchini in the egg a few at a time and then dredge in the almond flour mixture. Do this until all are covered.

6) Place the zucchini in the skillet. Watch at all times. Turn the zucchini after 2-3 minutes or until the one side is golden brown. Cook on the other side until it is golden brown. You can do this in several turns of zucchini if you have a lot.

7) When zucchini are done, take out and place on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up the extra oil.

8) serve as is or with warm sugar free marinara sauce. I like Delallo.. $3.99 at sprouts!

Turkey Loaf

 

Don’t be fooled by the picture, it’s not bread it’s meat. This turkey loaf is an adaptation from Elana’s Cookbook, the Gluten Free almond Flour Cookbook. It turned out really good! I made a few slight changes and put it in a 5X3 inch loaf pan instead of forming a loaf.

What you need:

1 pound ground turkey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

2 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar free marinara sauce ( I used Delallo)

1/2 cup blanched almond flour

1 tsp sea salt

1tsp ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbsp fresh thyme

 

Heat the oven to 400.

Combine turkey, oil, onion, garlic, zucchini, eggs, and marinara in a large bowl.

Combine almond flour, salt, pepper, cilantro, and thyme in a small bowl.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with hands until thoroughly combined.

Spray the loaf pan with oil and place the mixture in it.

Cook for 60-90 minutes or until the top is browned and the loaf is cooked all the way through.

Serve with extra marinara sauce on the side.

Garlic and Herb Brussels Sprouts

 

This was my first time ever eating Brussels sprouts and they are delicious! They remind me of baby cabbages. Enjoy these as a side with just about anything!

What you need:

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

Chefs Shake seasoning to taste

 

Soak the Brussels sprouts in water for 10 minutes prior to prepping to wash dirt and things out of them.

Cut off the ends of the sprouts and cut them in half.

Bring the chicken broth to boil in a large skillet and add the  sprouts. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the are tender.

Discard the liquid and then add the oil, garlic, and seasoning. Stir and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Veggie Frittata

 

Sometimes eggs for breakfast get a little boring. But it’s super easy to spice them up with some delicious veggies! This morning I made a wonderful veggie frittata and it satisfied Diego and my urge to go out to breakfast. Who says home cooking isn’t the best!? The best part about a veggie frittata is that you can use any sorts of veggies you like. Diego was craving Asian style veggies that conveniently were frozen so it was a breeze to sauté the veggies with

no prep and then add the eggs. I highly recommend it. I served the frittata with nitrate and chemical free breakfast sausage and strawberries. YUM!

 

What you need

5 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 package of frozen veggies of your choice

OR ( my favorite combo)

1/2 onion, minced

1 bell pepper

1 cup broccoli

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

3 tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan with a lid. Place your choice of veggies in the sauté pan ( if frozen just dump em all in, if not, start with the onions and peppers first and sauté till translucent, then add the broccoli and cook for 3 min).

In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the water until light and fluffy. Add the last of the olive oil to the pan and stir around a bit to make sure the pan is covered ( this will make the getting the frittata our easier).Pour the eggs into the pan and lower the heat to low.  Sprinkle the cilantro on the top of the eggs. Cover the pan immediately and let the frittata cook about 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through. Be careful about opening the lid as this will let the heat out and make the cooking time longer.

The heat should be low so as to not burn the bottom of the frittata.

Roasted Chicken with Paleo Cranberry Orange Sausage Stuffing

In my quest for a Paleo  T-Day I stumbled upon Boulder Sausages Cranberry Orange Breakfast sausage and I thought to myself, I bet that would be great in stuffing!!!! This stuffing is all paleo and is just enough sweet.  The stuffing was enough to fill the chicken and fill the outside of the 13X9 baking dish and probably would be enough just to fill the inside of a turkey. You could also use the regular breakfast sausage as well.

You need:

1 small whole Chicken

1 tbps olive oil

1/2 lb Cranberry Orange Breakfast Sausage

1 large onion, minced

1 cup Celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 Medium golden Delicious apple, chopped.

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 cup Cranberries, fresh

1.5 cups orange juice

1 tbsp fresh sage chopped

1 sprig thyme

1 tbsp Chef’s shake seasoning

salt to taste

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a 13X9 glass baking dish.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and cook the sausage breaking it up into small bits.

In the meantime, cook cranberries and 1/2 cup orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, let the cranberries cook and become sweeter with the OJ. When the cranberries have become soft, drain the cranberry orange water and save for marinating and basting the chicken. Save cranberries for stuffing.

In  a small bowl, mix the cranberry orange juice, 1/2 cup orange juice, sage ,thyme, and chef’s shake.

When the sausage has cooked add in the onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add in the apples  and cauliflower to the pan and coat them about 1 minute. Transfer into a large bowl and add in cranberries. 

Add last 1/2 cup of OJ to the pan to scrape up the browned bits and add to the stuffing. Fold everything gently together.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and under the skin. Shake extra seasoning over the chicken it you wish. Stuff the chicken with the stuffing and pour the rest outside the chicken or place in a separate baking dish if you don’t want it mixed up with the chicken juices.

Bake for 1. 5 hours or until the chicken reached 180 degrees F. You may wish to place a piece of foil on the chicken after an hour to keep the moisture in.

I ate mine with Panetta, apple spinach salad. Yum!

Homemade Chicken Soup

 

I’ve been thinking about making chicken soup for a while now and I have been waiting  to make it on just the right cold and snowy day. This is super easy, but it does take some  time, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You Need:

1 small whole chicken, skinned

2 quarts organic low sodium chicken broth

1 large onion

5 stalks celery

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

1 large leek, chopped

1.5 cup zucchini, shredded

juice from one lemon

In a large stock pot, place the chicken and chicken stock and enough water to just cover the chicken. Heat to a boil. Put in the onion, 2 celery stalks chopped, .5 cup carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, sage in the pot and cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Let the stock sit with the heat off and skim off the fat. A quick tip: I put the pot in my fridge for 20 minutes to let it cool and speed up the separation process. Then I was able to skim off the fat and see it easier.

Remove chicken from the bones however works best for you and place back into the soup. Place the remaining veggies, except the zucchini in the pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes and then add zucchini, simmer for 2 minutes and then serve!

Homemade Chicken Soup

 

I’ve been thinking about making chicken soup for a while now and I have been waiting  to make it on just the right cold and snowy day. This is super easy, but it does take some  time, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You Need:

1 small whole chicken, skinned

2 quarts organic low sodium chicken broth

1 large onion

5 stalks celery

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

1 large leek, chopped

1.5 cup zucchini, shredded

juice from one lemon

In a large stock pot, place the chicken and chicken stock and enough water to just cover the chicken. Heat to a boil. Put in the onion, 2 celery stalks chopped, .5 cup carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, sage in the pot and cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Let the stock sit with the heat off and skim off the fat. A quick tip: I put the pot in my fridge for 20 minutes to let it cool and speed up the separation process. Then I was able to skim off the fat and see it easier.

Place the remaining veggies, except the zucchini in the pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes and then add zucchini, simmer for 2 minutes and then serve!

Homemade Chicken Soup

 

I’ve been thinking about making chicken soup for a while now and I have been waiting  to make it on just the right cold and snowy day. This is super easy, but it does take some  time, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You Need:

1 small whole chicken, skinned

2 quarts organic low sodium chicken broth

1 large onion

5 stalks celery

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

1 large leek, chopped

1.5 cup zucchini, shredded

juice from one lemon

In a large stock pot, place the chicken and chicken stock and enough water to just cover the chicken. Heat to a boil. Put in the onion, 2 celery stalks chopped, .5 cup carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, sage in the pot and cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Let the stock sit with the heat off and skim off the fat. A quick tip: I put the pot in my fridge for 20 minutes to let it cool and speed up the separation process. Then I was able to skim off the fat and see it easier.

Place the remaining veggies, except the zucchini in the pot and bring to a boil.

Mini Vegetable Frittatas

 

These veggie frittatas are so simple to make and they make for an easy quick or even to-go breakfast… lunch or dinner for that matter. I got this idea from a client who started to make them for her son who has recently adopted the Paleo diet and was having trouble eating enough for breakfast. I decided to make them today and I think I will make some more soon because Diego’s already eaten two or three.

What you need:

1.5 cup zucchini squash, shredded

1/2 an onion chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

6 eggs

1/2 tsp  Celtic sea salt

1tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauté onions and salt in olive oil in a large pan until translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 3-5 minutes.

While this is happening, whisk the eggs in a medium size bowl. Add the zucchini   and green onion to the egg mixture and mix.

Spray a 12 muffin pan with oil and fill each hole with mushroom and onion just so it covers the bottom.

Fill each muffin hole with egg mixture a little more than 3/4 full but not quite to the top, it will fluff up and the egg might run over a bit.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the egg is cooked all the way through.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf

 

I’ve been craving rice lately and specifically that saffron colored wonderful aromatic basmati rice they serve at an Indian restaurant. I’ve been pondering the idea of making “rice” on it’s own with cauliflower for a few weeks and I finally gave it a try. After seeing how this dish created itself, I can see there is a ton more rice-y dishes you could make with cauliflower, especially a rich risotto. I can’t wait to try some more.

If you have been craving that rice texture and you want something that is flavorful and satisfying you will love this cauliflower rice.

 

You need:

1 medium head cauliflower, pulverized in the food processor

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

10-12 green cardamom pods

1 tbsp cloves

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp fresh ginger

1 cinnamon stick

2 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp saffron strands

1.5 cup chicken stock

Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the cardamom, cloves, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon. Sauté 3-5 minutes.

Add Cauliflower and sauté with spices about 5 minutes or until it starts to get a golden color and the aromatics of the spices have spread around the kitchen again.

Add the chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, and saffron and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to low and let simmer for 10-20 minutes until the liquid is soaked up by the cauliflower. The longer you let it simmer the more the flavors will come into the cauliflower.

Serve and garnish with cilantro or thyme.

Paleo Frito Pie with Guacamole

I was in the mood for chili yesterday and after doing some experimenting with  Sweet Potato chips on Friday I got the great idea to make Frito pie. Now when I make Chili I sort of “wing it” as far as a recipe and use things I have laying around the kitchen, so I tried to write down this recipe as best I could. The best thing about winging it with chili is that every chili comes out new and excited but the bad part is, it’s hard for me to replicate a really good chili over again. This batch turned out smoky with a sweet taste from the squash and the andoullie sausage. Yum!

Chili:

1 pound Grass fed ground beef

2 links nitrate free Andoullie sausage, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 jalapeños, chopped and pitted

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch cilantro

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

2 14 oz cans  no salt added  organic diced tomatoes in juice

1 cup beef broth

Salt to taste

1 tbsp cumin

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

water

 

In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium high. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeños and sauté until the onions are translucent, about  10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet brown the ground beef and sausage until cooked. Set aside.

In a food processor, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cilantro. Blend until it becomes a thick paste and add water until it forms a saucy consistency. set aside.

Add the Mushrooms and squash to the pot with the onions and sauté for 3ish minutes or until the mushrooms have begun to shrink. Add the meat to the pot and let everything cook together for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Add cans of tomatoes and beef broth and cilantro sauce. add in all spices and stir. Bring to a boil and then set heat to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours. It depends on how think you want your chili. I wanted mine thick this time so I let it simmer for over 2 hours to reduce and thicken. ( If you don’t have beef broth, chicken broth or water would work just as well)

 

Sweet Potato Chips

2-3 large sweet potatoes

olive oil

coconut oil

grapeseed oil

salt

Peel the sweet potatoes. I cut mine using the slicer in my food processor so they come out uniform. If you don’t have access to one of these you can cut them yourself. They can be as thick or thin as you like. Just remember the thicker they are the longer the cooking time will be.

If you have a deep fryer, this part will be much less time consuming. If not, place an amount of oil in a large skillet so that the oil is about 1/2 inch high, enough to cover your chips. Heat up to 375 if you have a thermometer or heat to med high. Know your stove, mine is a lot hotter than it says it is. Test one chip and get a feel for if the oil is hot enough, too hot etc and how long it needs to cook for. you will need to watch the chips at all times. When one side is golden brown, flip it over. The point here is to get rid of the moisture in the potatoes, so if your chips are coming out and ending up a little soggy, they need to cook longer.

When your chips are done place them on a plate with some paper towels to catch the excess oil. Salt them if you like and then put them in a large bowl. I found that it’s best to salt them immediately after taking them out of the oil so the salt sticks.

The same technique would work to make sweet potato chips. I also tried a few squash chips which turned out great but required a different cooking time because they have so much more moisture. As long as you stay by the pan, flipping and checking your chips, you can’t go wrong. 

 

Guacamole

3-4 Large avocados

1 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeño

salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin

juice from 1 small lemon

 

place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until the consistency is what you want. If you are going by hand, mince the cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño and place all the ingredients in a bowl and mash with a masher or a fork, or use a mortar and pedestal if you have one.

 

 

The Piece de Resistance

Putting it all together,

In your bowl, put a layer of chips, then pile on the chili, then put some more chips on top and a big dollop of guac…. mmmmmmm Diego Approved! Garnish with chopped avocado, peppers, cilantro, lime wedges, cabbage…. whatever your little hear desires.

del.icio.us Tags: Paleo,Recipes,Paleo Frito Pie,Paleo Chili,Chili,Guacamole,Sweet Potatoe Chips,Clean Eating

The Down Low on Clean Eating Series: Introduction

When I talk to people about Clean Eating and specifically Paleo, I get a lot of confused, shocked, and resistant faces. What I have found in my years in this industry is that asking people to give up sugar is a no brainer. People have come to expect that if they want to eat healthier, they need to give up sugar and other white products like white rice, refined flour, etc. But asking people to give up ALL GRAINS, BEANS, and ALL DAIRY... whatsoever... is like asking them to get naked and speak in front of thousands of people.

When I was first presented with the Paleo diet "rules" I know I did the same thing. For me the grains part was easier to understand than the dairy part, especially since in the past my "healthy" way of eating often involved eating a lot more dairy products than normal like string cheese and yogurt. Often when we have a fitness or health goal we are presented with ways of eating that I now consider excuse diets; diets that allow people an easy way out.

For Example:

No sugar? Have as much fake, laboratory-produced sugar as you want, even if it’s a neurotoxin. Who cares at least you won’t be taking in calories.

You hate cooking? No problem, don’t learn how to cook and eat over processed, chemical ridden frozen meals that have as much nutritional value as a cardboard box.

Count your Calories! No need to worry about what’s in your food or where it came from, or if it will even get into your cells for your body to use.

The diet industry of today has you running around in circles believing that there is some magical,easy way out. I am so sick and tired of people trying to make hard things easier by cutting corners. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”

I really believe that this is a huge reason people are such yo-yo dieters. If you don’t re-learn what you know about food; how it affects you, how you shop for it, how you cook it, and how you eat it you will never learn any way of eating that will be sustainable for you. Remember those factors for later.

Key Point: Something that sounds sustainable for you in the future right now… to the person you are now whom you are trying to make life changes to…. probably sounds this way because it is still in your comfort zone. If I have learned anything in this life it’s that in order to grow and change we have to go OUTSIDE of our comfort zone. I know this because at one time, I didn’t think I would be able to I could sustain a life without cheese or ice cream or even ENJOY it. But I did and I’ve never enjoyed eating more than I do now.

In this series of blogs I am going to give you the down low (DL) on the 4 absolute musts that you need to learn (either for the first time from a different perspective) if you want to create a healthy way of eating that you will be able to sustain and enjoy for the rest of your life.

· How Food Effects You

· How to Shop for and Cook Food

· How to Eat Food

· How to make it a part of your NEW YOU!

I will go over things things like how body composition, emotions, energy level, performance and health are related to insulin, hormone regulation, gluten, lectins, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and other foods and non-foods we put into our bodies. We will go more in depth about what to look for in the grocery store, reading labels, and creating and finding great recipes for your weekly meal planning. And lastly I will give you some great tips along the way to begin to implement these changes in your life. Look for the DL on insulin in the next blog. I look forward to questions and empowering you to make more healthy decisions.

del.icio.us Tags: Paleo,Clean eating,The down low on clean eating series,weight loss,optimal health,diets,fitness

7 things no one told you about food

QUALITY of food is always going to be MORE IMPORTANT than QUANTITY of food.- Crystal Nelson

A blog recently written by my friend Crystal Nelson, along with many recent conversations with family and friends about “why the heck I don’t eat dairy or grains anymore” inspired this week’s inspire me Monday. There are so many things I could talk about but to start, I want to lay down the law of the basic things people don’t realize about food.

The 7 Truths no one told you about food:
1) Food is Fuel
2) Food is a Drug
3) Calorie Counting is BS
4) Food has amazing healing power
5) Food has amazing destructive power
6) Food is a Drug
7) Food is Fuel

Just in case you were wondering, it’s not a mistake that “food is fuel” and “food is a drug” made it in the list two times. So much of my job is getting my clients to CHANGE THE WAY THEY VIEW FOOD. If you know me, you know I am all about optimal health and functioning which this why love the Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson as an optimal way of eating (notice how I say way of eating, not diet).

Food has Amazing Healing Power: I love Robb Wolf’s blog for great paleo success stories and pick me ups when I need a reminder of why I eat this way. Something Crystal noted in her blog that I want to spread around even more is a topic that has recently come up on Robb Wolf’s blog about the reversal of diabetes in a little girl. This story, as Crystal said, gives me chills. The basic story is a little girl was diagnosed Sept 10 of this year with type 1 diabetes and her family (including her) went completely paleo. Immediately after this the little girl’s blood sugar levels began to drop rapidly. As of Oct 19, this little girl’s doctor has concluded that she needs NO INSULIN and the family is currently awaiting antibody tests to determine whether or not the attack on her pancreas has slowed or stopped all together: “This REVERSAL of a life-threatening autoimmune disease is being mediated by a focus on food quality (paleo).” Interesting….

Food Has Amazing Destructive Power: Is it possible that grains, gluten, and dairy contributed to the development of this autoimmune disease. I would say yes. While there is some merit to autoimmune disorders being genetic, just because you have a gene doesn’t mean you will see it until it is EXPRESSED by your body. Food definitely has the power to express or not express genes, emotions, illness you name it. Do your own research. Books I love are Dangerous Grains, Good Calories, Bad Calories, The Omnivores Dilemma and The Unhealthy Truth.

If you still aren’t convinced read this letter to Robb Wolf about surviving a life threatening blood infection. Paleo will save your life. And I’m willing to bet it’ll help you fend off that H1N1 too.

If you want to find out more, need more elaboration on the 7 truths no one told you about food, please email me. I would love to help anyone, near or far, figure out how to achieve optimal health and how all this CAN FIT INTO YOUR LIFE.

Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers and Squash Pear Sesame Sala

This weekend I tried a recipe from my Paleolicious cookbook and created one of my own! These chicken fingers are so flavorful and crispy on the outside. I used the larger coconut shavings instead of shredded coconut which added more crisp to the chicken. We dipped the chicken in leftover sesame dressing, jalapeno cilantro chimichirri and homemade bbq sauce.

The recipe in the cookbook is actually paired with a sesame greens salad, but I had no greens at home. What I had was squash, so I thought, I can make a salad with squash. Later I eyed the pears I had gotten and thought that it might make a great combo. It's sweet and refreshing.

For the Chicken:
2 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 in thick and cut into strips
3 egg whites, whisked in a small bowl
1/2 cup almond flour, in a small bowl
shredded coconut to cover the chicken
2 tblsp grapeseed oil

Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken in these three steps: Almond Flour, egg whites, coconut; until the chicken is covered. Place the chicken in the skillet, cooking until golden brown on both sides; about 3-5 min each side. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

Salad:
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and dices
1 large ripe pear, diced into cubes
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
salt to taste

In a pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the squash until soft. Meanwhile mix lemon juice, oil, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Prepare a bowl with ice water, and when the squash are soft, pour into the ice water to stop the cooking process and cool the squash temperature. Drain the water and place pears in the bowl. Pour in the dressing and mix making sure everything gets covered in sauce.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones and Zucchini Chocolate Chip muffins

Thursday I had the urge to bake things. I love baking! It gives me some cool sense of accomplishment. I've been wanting to try making the Chocolate Chip Scones from the Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook and Zucchini Chocolate chip muffins.



Both turned out great! The zucchini muffins were made with coconut flour and it was my first baking experience with that. The zucchini keeps the muffins moist and flavorful! They have a wonderful cinnamon flavor as well. The scones were great too. Just the right amount of sweet.

I always end up halving the recipes because I don't need the extras laying around my house. There are only two of us!

Paleo meter: To be used Sparingly....

Carne Asada with Cilantro, Jalapeno chimichurri

So I was at Whole foods yesterday planning to buy ingredients to make my own nutella, and I came across Carne asada with Cilantro Jalapeno salsa and it looked DELICIOSO! So I thought, I can make that myself. I am not sure what's in the whole foods version but mine turned out rich and satisfying. I cheated a bit though and bought the whole foods marinated carne asada.... I didn't have the energy to explore making my own marinade and I know I love the whole foods version ( stick with what you like eh?). So that will be my next endeavor since there is probably something not exactly paleo in their marinade.

Chimichurri:
1 bunch cilantro
1 avocado
2 medium jalapenos
juice from 1 lime
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
water
salt to taste

Place jalapenos on a baking sheet or glass baking dish and broil in the oven ( be sure to move the rack to the very top). Roast the jalapenos until the skin is black on both sides, you will need to flip them over at some point to get both sides about3-5 min a side. Let the jalapenos cool a bit then under cold water peel off the black skin. Cut off the tops and scrape out the seeds if you don't want your chimichurri to be super hot. If you like super hot, leave them in.

In a food processor, put in all the ingredients expect the water. Blend until a paste forms and add water until the chimichurri reaches a sauce like consistency. You could have it as thick or thin as you want.

And that's it! Serve with your Carne Asada. This sauce tastes great on just about anything. I had it on my eggs this morning. There is just something about a bright green sauce that feels so refreshing to eat. Buen Provecho!

Boundaries Vs. Limits

“Boundaries are to protect life, not to limit pleasures.” -Edwin Louis Cole

Do you know where you keep your boundaries? Do you let things or people cross your personal boundaries too often? This week I challenge you to think about where your strongest boundaries are and where you need to toughen them up a bit.

We all can think of a situation where we let someone into our space, cross our boundaries and it made us feel sticky, not your-self, or just not right. Take a moment to think about those people or situations. Can you find a recurring theme? Is it always the same type of person or situation?

When we have strong personal boundaries, we become empowered. A very common weakness in boundaries for people is saying no. Do you say yes too often when you really mean no?
Every time you say yes to something when you really mean no you are letting a piece of yourself go with it. You are losing power, losing energy.

Having strong boundaries doesn’t mean being snobby, mean, or rude. It simply means being true to yourself and your needs. Boundaries are here to protect us.

On the other hand, sometimes we confuse boundaries with limits. We put limits on how much joy and abundance we can have and confuse that with a boundary. When all your boundaries are set and impenetrable, you will be able to honor yourself in the highest way.

Where are you putting caps on your happiness, your success, yourself? You will find that boundaries and limits go hand in hand. When you build up and strengthen your boundaries, your limits will be endless.
So take this week to notice this: What are your most important boundaries? Which ones do you need to acknowledge and strengthen? Where do you put limits in your life and which of your boundaries will help you break open that limit?

A very Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe: Chicken and Squash Pot Pie and Mashed Garlic and Herb Cauliflower

This weeks taste testing of some paleo thanksgiving meals was Butternut Squash and Chicken pot pie with Mashed Garlic and herb cauliflower. I loved both of these recipes.

For the Pot pie, I used a recipe out of Elana Amsterdam's Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook.



I added butternut squash chunks instead of peas to stay paleo and I used a roasted crockpot chicken for the chicken and it turned out great. I think this would make a nice vegen dish if you take out the chicken.

I also Imagine using my leftover turkey for this dish.

The Cauliflower was super easy to make. You need:
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
water
1 package poultry herbs ( sage, thyme, and rosemary), minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

Boil the cauliflower (cut into small pieces) until soft. Drain the cauliflower and place in large bowl or blender/food processor. Add in garlc, herbs and salt. Begin to mash or blend the mixture and add olive oil and water alternating the two one tablespoon at a time until you reach a consistency you want.



I used my food processor and my mash turned out more like a thick cream. Next time I will try simply mashing them for a more potato like texture.

Bon Apetite!

Moroccan Chicken Casserole and Vanilla Cupcakes

This week I made some awesome Paleo foods. Above is the Moroccan Chicken Casserole from Mark Sisson's website and it was delish! The cauliflower is just the right texture for rice and it's so refreshing. The spices are wonderful. It does take some prep time though so don't expect this to be a quick dish.

For my paleo challenge finished celebration I made myself some paleo cupcakes. FYI I used the almond flour recipe from Elana's cookbook, the link here uses coconut flour. The cupcakes were moist and just the right amount of sweetness.

A Very Paleo Holiday Recipe: Coconut-Cardamom Sweet Potatoes

I found this in Clean Eating Magazine and had to try it! Yum! I also made Paleo vanilla Cupcakes this week, delicious! Look for those soon! Check out Crystals apple crisp... it sounds wonderful!

5 med sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 in pieces
3/4 cup light coconut milk
2 tps cardamom, ground ( a ginger like herb, I suppose you could use ginger too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tps ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup unsalted chopped pecan halves

1) Preheat oven to 325
2) bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat . Add sweet potatoes, return to boiling and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
3) Drain and transfer potatoes to a large bowl
4) Add coconut milk ,cardamom, vanilla, salt, black pepper and cayenne to potatoes.
5) Mix with hand held mixer on medium until smooth,
6) Transfer to a 9X9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle pecans evenly over potatoes
7) Bake 45-50 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Does your body want to be fat?

“Your Body Wants to be fat anytime it decides that being fat is safe” Jon Gabriel, The Gabriel Method

A friend turned me on The Gabriel Method a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me and my philosophy on health. So why would being fat be safe? It’s not! But as I have said, your health, physically is an expression of how you feel, think, and view the world around you. Well not exactly you, your body.

“Your body doesn’t understand today’s world.”

We evolved to protect ourselves under stress, and we evolved in a time when the major stressors were “starvation, freezing, being eaten.” It’s pretty simple, in any of these survival modes, the body wants to hold on to as much energy as possible. More fat= live longer and stay warmer. Too much fat= get eaten and the perfect amount of fat= live longer, stay warmer, and don’t get eaten.

Our bodies can’t tell the difference between, “I feel overwhelmed with work, family, and trying to fit in everything else” and “I haven’t found any food in 2 days.” Think about the last time you were under an immense amount of emotional stress…. Did you feel bloated, did you gain weight? I see this in clients all the time under too much stress: the inability to lose weight and often times the accumulation of weight in the belly.

I love this book because it delves into so much of the emotional and spiritual elements that are part of gaining healthy habits. Gabriel talks about mental starvation fear of scarcity, emotional obesity, and dysfunctional beliefs: all issues that one needs to consider when looking at their “Fit attitude” as I like to call it.

So I challenge you this week to discover what your “Fit Attitude” is? Do you need to think more about the points Gabriel brings up in his book? If you do, you need support. Don't wait, find it now. The quickest way to change is to look for it and welcome it. Now think about this last thought:

“Be Open to the Possibility that your body is changing”

Are you?

Say No to the Holiday Sugar Coma... Here's How

I've been finding myself warning my clients of the looming holiday season; warning them to be prepared for battle! Who are we fighting for you ask? YOU! Fighting to keep you healthy, feeling great, and loving life! The holiday season is in my opinion the most trying time for those on a mission to eat clean. There are so many more excuses that you can allow to come up it can be exhausting: I have so many parties to go to, my whole family is in town and we go out to eat everyday, it's cold and I feel like comfort foods.... STOP! I am officially putting a damper on these excuses and telling you to prepare now to be able to combat these excuses.

My friend and fellow crossfit trainer Crystal Nelson and I will be taking these next few weeks to try out some clean and Paleo thanksgiving recipes as well as post some helpful info on how to deal with sticky situations like relatives and parties. Check back soon for more! Would love to hear ideas about what you want to know about these situations. I know Crystals first recipe will be a dessert and seeing as I just finished my 30 paleo challenge TODAY! I am thinking dessert is on order.

Warm Fall Treats: Cinnamon Apple Chips and Roasted Cinnamon Vanilla Pecans

It's already starting to snow here in Colorado and it's making me crave warm baked goods. So when I saw the post on facebook from Paleo Pantry about cinnamon apple chips I HAD to make them!



All the cooking I've been doing lately is making me feel really creative in the kitchen and so I saw my bag of pecans and thought of those sugar roasted pecans you get at a fair..... well I don't choose to have sugar, but I thought I could flavor the pecans anyhow and roast them and turned out really yummy.

To Make Cinnamon Apples

Pre heat oven to 350. Slice your apple in thin slices. Coat them with small amount of grapeseed oil in a bowl and then lay out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and bake for 45 minutes or until apples are dehydrated and crisp. I like mine a little on the gooey side before they get too crisp.

To make Pecans:

In a small bowl place a cup of pecans, 2 tsp of vanilla, 1 tps grapeseed oil, and 1 tsp of cinnamon and mix well. Place pecans in a pyrex baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.


Try adding other flavors and spices. A little agave wouldn't be terrible ( if you are not being strict about your sugar) for a cheat treat.

Women's Crossfit Bootcamp CONQUERS 20 min Chelsea

CWB 20 Min Chelsae from Lauren Sheehan on Vimeo.

My tue/thurs 7am women's crossfit bootcampers are awesome! They come in early, get it done, and push hard. This week was a little more taxing than the previous weeks with 20 minute Chelsea and Kelly on the schedule.

My Crossfit bootcamp is a sort of hybrid bootcamp/crossfit concoction. I take the crossfit philosphy into all my training sessions but I wanted to create this class to spread my love for crossfit further into the community. It combines body weight movements with minimal equipment for maximum results. The best part about these workouts is the mental challenge. They are made to be as intense as you make them.


For more information on Women's Crossfit Bootcamp click here

Lemon, Garlic, Cliantro Roasted Chicken

[caption id="attachment_442" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pre-Cooking"][/caption]

Crockpot Roasted Chicken is so easy and it turns out moist and juicy, better than the gross chemical ridden store bought rotisseries. I made mine with lemon, cilantro and garlic. All flavors I love!! I based my recipe off this one.
[caption id="attachment_443" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="After cooking"][/caption]


You need:
1 4-6 lb whole chicken
1 whole garlic head, peeled and cloves whole and ready to use
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, sliced
Salt and pepper

Thaw and Skin the chicken, don't forget to remove it's innards. Then rub it down inside and out with kosher salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the crockpot. Fill the inside with garlic cloves scattering some outside as well. Do the same with the Cilantro. Place the lemon slices around the chicken as pictured. Turn on crockpot to low and cook 6-8 hours. Make sure the temp is 170 with a meat thermometer.



I ate mine with a whole lot of broccoli. Veggies and meat: ChecK... I need to grab some nuts now!

America's Excuse

Americas Excuse

I have to say I’ve been running across a lot of excuses lately. As the weather gets colder more people seem to be getting sick. On top of that the holiday season is getting closer and closer and I keep thinking to myself, how many people are using all of these things as an excuse to be unhealthy, not be 100% in love with yourself and your body, all in the name of “The Holiday Season.”

What I realized is that the “holiday season” is a giant, collective, American excuse to GIVE UP!

I am here to challenge you to NOT GIVE IN! Don’t do it. Don’t give in to this ridiculous excuse to eat like crap and not have time for exercise or being healthy.

There are 8 weeks until thanksgiving and that means that you have 8 weeks to train yourself to be healthy during the busy, crazy, holiday season. It’s never too late to start so start NOW! I think there is a correlation between how out of it people get during the holidays and how they are treating their bodies.

Here are a few pointers to be on top of your game….

1) Find support. Join a workout group; find a friend to keep you accountable. I’ve got some great classes ( see below) to help you with this.

2) Start NOW. Don’t wait till the next time you go to store. Don’t wait until you finish off all the crappy food in your fridge.

3) Find info on clean eating. See my blog for recipes and resources. All your holiday sweets and things don’t have to be totally annihilating. Use alternative sweeteners, find gluten free recipes, use whole foods, do your own cooking!

4) If you have a goal why would you give up for 6 weeks or so? Keep going, keep pushing. Only you can put things in your way.

5) Believe in yourself and don’t let everyone else discourage you when they ask you “why aren’t you eating that…just have a little, it won’t hurt you.”

6) Lead by silent example, while everyone else is eating themselves into a coma over the holidays you will be productive, feel great, and be on track with whatever your goals are.

Paleo Quiche

I love a good quiche and this ones totally paleo. I started with an Almond Flour crust from The Gluten free almond flour cookbook. ( I made the pie crust from this recipe minus the agave and the vanilla...) It really hits the spot. Try it out and lemme know what you think.

Ingredients
5 eggs
1 cup chopped turkey bacon
1/2 cup sauted mushrooms
Pie crust ( see link above)

Pre heat oven to 350. Place the chopped turkey bacon and mushrooms in a large saute pan. Cook the turkey bacon until it is crisp and the mushrooms are soft. When it's ready put the mixture into the pie pan ( with the crust ready in it). Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then pour over the mixture in the pie pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife in the center of the quiche comes out clean.

The ABSOLUTE BEST paleo pancakes on the planet... Seriously

I have been making versions of paleo pancakes since I began to paleo and FINALLY I have found the holy grail of paleo pancake recipes.

Here's the secret: ALMOND FLOUR!!!

No not the almond meal you get at whole foods ( bobs red mill) the kind you must buy online .

I have been baking with this non stop since I got my flour in the mail and I am in love.

I got the recipe from Elana's cookbook and thankfully her recipe is online because I can't reproduce it.

I replaced the agave nectar in the recipe with applesauce because I am not doing sugar due to my 30 day paleo challenge and I probably will keep it that way because it still tastes great! I believe I had to lower the cooking temp because I think the apple sauce is prone to browning quick. Keep them smaller than regular pancakes. About two inches in diameter.
I experimented with berries in the pancakes, it turned out really well.

Tips on Clean Eating

Tips on Eating Clean
1)Keep your pantry and your recipes stocked.
• If you are going to live without temptation you had better keep your house full of nutritious foods you can feel great about eating and snacking on.
• I look for new recipes daily. Learn how to take a recipe you find interesting and modify it to what you can have. Find a great chili recipe, and use some other veggies instead of beans etc.
2) Pre-Cook
• Spend some time Sunday making 2-3 meals that will last for the week. This will cut down your cooking time during the week and save you that thought on the way home “what am I going to make tonight?”
3) Cook more than you need
• Going off the last item, when you cook more, you have left overs. Yumm!
• Don’t keep food you don’t want to eat in your house
• Keeping unhealthy food in your house where you can be tempted to eat it is a no no. Keep it out of your house and you’ll never have an issue.
4)Utilize Tupperware
• Get lots of sturdy Tupperware to keep all your pre cooked meals and leftovers in.
5) Get a food processor and a Crockpot
• I use my food processor almost every day whether I am making paleo ice cream or pesto sauce or baking
• I use my Crockpot at least once a week. It’s easy, it saves time, and it’s delicious.
6)Keep clean snacks on hand… just in case
• Nuts, fruit, veggies, beef jerky….. keep safe food close to you in times of supreme hunger or change of plans happen
7) Learn to use spices
• Changing the way you eat, means learning a new way to cook… or learning how to cook in the first place.
8 Learn to cook!
• Eating clean involves rethinking how you cook food as well as how you eat food. Once you realize how many options you really have, you will love the variety of veggies, fruits, and how creative you can get in the kitchen.
• Take a cooking class if you are seriously deficient in this area.
9)Create your menu for the week
• Spend some time researching recipes for your week’s menu before you go to the grocery store and buy food for the week. This makes shopping easier and more purposeful. And will save you extra trips.
10) Choose free range and grass fed meat whenever possible
• http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html
11)Craving something? Find a recipe and modify and experiment
• Try out your kitchen skills by finding paleo versions of recipes you love on the internet, or finding a recipe you love and modifying it to your new way of eating.
12) Love to bake?:
• Discover Honeyville blanched Almond Flour and www.elanaspantry.com
• Just be cautious, don’t be going crazy with muffins and cakes and agave nectar. Especially no agave nectar if you are doing your 30 days.
Eating out? Use caution, willpower, and authority
• Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want! If you don’t see it on the menu, ask if they can make it. Now I’m not talking about asking for some random thing, be reasonable here.
• Find something on the menu that you can modify to your liking. Sometimes there isn’t much. Most places have chicken breasts and can cook one up for you separately if its not on the menu.
• Obviously if you are out you are at the mercy of that kitchen, but sometimes you have to compromise. For example, I go to a networking every week at a restaurant and I usually order some kind of chicken breast sandwich without the bun or cheese and ask for fruit, veggies or salad on the side.
• I always bring nuts or fruit or something with me just in case.
• I always order something off the menu. It is debatable to me whether it is ruder to go to a restaurant and not order food or to bring some “extra snacks” and order off the menu and be the crazy person with all the modifications. So, I always go with the second one and I always leave a nice tip.
12) Eat Local
• Find the farmers markets in town and get your meats and produce there.
• There are some great resources for getting local and in season foods like Door to Door organics and Grant Family Farms here in fort Collins
• Get really local and grow your own garden!

Zuchinni Onion Soup

I love this recipe for zucchini soup! It usually has little ditalini pastas in it, but since I can't have pasta, so I added ground chicken, and the base is still wonderful tasting. Since it's beginning to become fall, squash is really in season right now and the zucchinis I bought at the store looked amazing and ripe and plump!

What you need:

4-5 large zucchini squash, quartered
4-5 med sweet onions, chopped in large pieces
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tblsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound Ground chicken, cooked

Place garlic and olive oil in a large skillet and saute for about a minute on med heat. Place the tomato paste on the skillet then Place the onions in the skillet and saute until translucent and soft, stirring occasionally and trying to break up the onion layers: about 20 minutes.

When the onions are soft, use your food processor or blender to liquify the onions. It should be a thick onion base with not chunks. Put the onion base into a large soup pot.

One zucchini at a time, pulverize them in the food processor. It shouldn't become a paste, but it should be small chunks. Place the zucchini in the soup pot. Add the cooked ground chicken.

Stir everything together and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil and then drop the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Why Dairy is not as good as you think

The question I get the most when i ask people to give up dairy for health and anti inflammatory reasons, is " But why do I hear all the time that I need 2 servigs of dairy a day to help me lose weight?" My answer: Advertising dollars. We don't need it, it's terrible for your digestion, and it's a terrible source of calcium.

Read more below
http://www.vibrancyuk.com/dairy.html

http://gomestic.com/consumer-information/10-facts-the-dairy-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-milk/

Paleo Pesto Spaghetti Squash

I have been loving spaghetti squash lately and last week I decided to make a pesto sauce for it. It is soooooo good! Its dairy free too!

The recipe is as follows.

1 small Spaghetti Squash
2 packets of organic basil(about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
olive oil
salt to taste

Cut your spaghetti sqaush lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place it face down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 450, COVERED with aluminum foil so the outside doesn't burn, for 30-45 minutes or until the inside is tender enough to scrape out. Scrape out the spaghetti and place in a large bowl.

While squash is cooking, in a food processor, place basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Blend until a paste forms. Next put the processor on and add olive oil until the paste becomes a sauce and is the consistency you want. I failed to measure how much olive oil I used because I just went by what I saw, but when I eyeball my olive oil bottle it looks like I used about 3/4 cup. I really wanted it to be saucier rather than thicker so it would blend in my squash easier. Add salt to taste.

When your squash is done, pour on the pesto and mix. I put my squash in a pan and added the pesto in it over the heat because I wanted it to soak up the flavor more. You don't have to do this though.

Eat as is, or with veggies, meat, tofu, whatever you think will taste delicious. If you add veggies, you might want to add them to your pan while you saute the squash in the sauce so they get that flavor in too.

If you are allergic to pine nuts, walnuts would work well with this. Im going to try another version with cilantro next time because Diego doesn't like basil... weirdo....

Inspire me Monday: How Many Hats do you wear?

How Many Hats do you Wear?
Daughter, Entrepreneur, Fitness Chick, Dancer, Girly girl, girlfriend, coach, friend, teacher, music lover, motivator, confident speaker, student, Paleo girl, Crossfit addict , sweet tooth, over achiever, procrastinator, control freak ….. Those are all my hats I can think of off the top of my head but I know there are more.

What I challenge you today to think about is how many hats you wear? Are you a mother, a father, a spouse, a comedian, a smiler, a listener, a caretaker, a supporter…. However you can define yourself, however you can finish the sentence “I am.”
I have been taking an eastern religions class online to fulfill my requirement for humanities before I go to chiropractic school and we are studying Hinduism right now and the concept of one true reality, called Brahman, that is manifesting itself in many forms can really speak to our own lives. (and is the reason I thought about this topic for today’s email)

Many people think Hinduism is polytheistic (believing in many gods), which it is but it’s not quite because actually, all of the Hindu gods are manifestations of the one true god, the ultimate truth. So I thought to myself, “just like me.” NOT because I think I am a god, but because I say things to myself daily, like “who do I feel like being today, Lauren the fitness chick, or Lauren the girly girl?” We ourselves are one person, and we are so many people all at the same time. How do we juggle through all these people we are daily?

So what’s my point? Know who you are, every part of you. Appreciate how many things you are to so many different people but most importantly to yourself. Do you have enough hats that are just for you or are they all for other people? Do you have any hats that you’ve forgotten about or pushed down?
Know how all your hats work with each other. If you are stressed out, feeling overwhelmed, just feeling like something’s not right, it’s probably because one of your “yous” isn’t playing well with the others.
There are always good and bad hats. We can’t all be perfect. You might find that you want to permanently take off one of your hats, like my sweet tooth hat. I am working very hard right now to just get rid of that thing.

Most of all know that these hats don’t own you. You own them, and you can change them any time you want. You can choose to wear the “emotional eater” hat or not. You can choose to wear the “I hate exercise” hat or not. You can choose to wear the “I have fill in the blank disease “or not.

Whatever you are, however many hats you wear, make sure they are the ones YOU CHOOSE.

Butternut Squash Latkes

I found this recipe at Elanas Pantry and I am sure you will see many more from her website here.

These latkes were fresh, sweet, and nutty flavored and gave Diego and I just enough of that "potato" feeling. I wish I would've remembered to take a picture of them but we ate them too fast!

I also made the homemade applesauce to go with them. They were super easy to make.

What is Clean eating?

Clean eating is a broad term to mean that you eat foods that are minimally or not processed at all and are in their purest, most nutritious and whole form. To eat clean you must shop for your own food, cook your own food, and I'm not going to sugar coat it, spend quite a bit of time researcing and educating yourself about what "clean" will mean for you and how you can make it palatable and work for your lifestyle.

Now when I say, "work for your lifestyle" this might be too broad. If you want to eat clean, you will have to change your lifestyle to fit clean eating. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You have to change your habits and your way of thinking if you are going to make clean eating your way of eating because it's not easy. I'm not trying to scare you, I just want you to understand what all this entails and not sugar coat it. The truth is that ingesting most of the food that is available and what we would call "easy" is the same as ingesting a low level poison into your body. Sugar, refined grains, dairy, gluten, soy.... these are all things that are sabotaging your digestive system, hormone regulation, and overall wellness of your body.

So I'm sure by now you are wondering how you eat clean. My simple answer is: Go Paleo. What is paleo? In the shortest possible way paleo is lean meats, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. If you can't find it and eat it raw, then you aren't eating it(obviously we usually cook out meat nowadays, but we can eat it raw).

"The Paleo Diet is a way of eating in the modern age that best mimics diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors - combinations of lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. By eating the foods that we are genetically adapted to eat, followers of the Paleo Diet are naturally lean, have acne-free skin, improved athletic performance, and are experiencing relief from numerous metabolic-related and autoimmune diseases."


This means NO sugar, NO grains, NO dairy, NO beans, NO alcohol and NO startchy roots or tubers. Having said that, yes I think there is some value in whole grains like quinoa however what I recommend to some clients when beginning a program with me is to just go full paleo for 30 days in order to normalize their insulin levels and just clear their bodies of everything that might be messing with their systems. If you've been eating lots of sugr and grains, refined or not, for a long time you need to increase your insulin sensitivity in order to bring your hormone levels back to normal. That being said, any grain, whole or not, will cause too large of an insulin spike and will just hinder your efforts to normalize insulin sensitivity ( see more on this here). This is definitely situational and it depends on the person and what their stress levels and other medical issues are. Some people find it easier to ease their way into paleo before they begin their 30 days in order to lessen the stress on their bodies.

I can tell you I've already had one client discover a dairy allergy while doing her 30 days. She had had hives for 10 YEARS prior to starting, and was taking an antihistamine to control her internal hives so she could eat comfortably, but still had them on places on her skin. About a week into it, she noticed she had absolutely no hives at all!!! That is a drastic example, but easy to see the benefit. Imagine what is happening inside your body that you can't feel or see?

The bottom line here is eat REAL food. If its processed, it's not real. Look at your labels, if it's got more than 4-5 ingredients and you can't understand any of them it's not real. If you didn't make it yourself, it's probably not real food. Be conscious of what you cook with, make sure there aren't any chemicals and other low level poisons in your food. Find out how gluten, sugar, grains, and dairy, effect your body. Go clean, go paleo. Go all out or start with laying off the sugar and the grains for a week or so and go from there. This is your body, and it's the only one you have. Take care of it!!!!

You can find out more at http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

Theme of the Week: What are your limiting beliefs?

“Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.” — James Allen

This week I want to bring attention to your limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs create disempowerment. What are your self limiting beliefs and how can you change them? Why does this matter? Because…

“Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself.” — Liberace

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, there are no things you can’t do, only things you won’t do. So once you’ve acknowledged that you have some limiting beliefs that might be causing you pain physically emotionally, and spiritually, even unconsciously, you can begin to become empowered by seeking information on how to change these beliefs.

When you believe "I can do it," the "how to do it" develops. - David Schwartz



6 Common Limiting Beliefs

1) Lack of Self Worth: “I am stupid,” “I am not –fill in the blank- enough.” Negative self talk and feelings of worthlessness can lead to depression.

2) Self Hatred: “I hate myself.” It is far easier to focus your love and attention on friends and family than to acknowledge that you love yourself.

3) Victimhood: Believing that any misfortune you suffer is the result of life circumstances, genes, past behaviors, family, and others’ moods etc. Occurs on the emotional level.

4) External Validation: Believing that other people know what is best for you. Here it is easy to lose sight of your inner strength and lose self confidence.

5) Other People’s Emotions: Believing you are responsible for other peoples emotions and reactions…. Another form of victimhood

6) Self Denial: Believing that your needs and desires are not of paramount importance. When you believe this you are literally giving away all your energy to others and you have nothing left for yourself.

For more on these limiting beliefs as well as a great intro to the world of energy, check out Bente Hanson’s book The New World of Self Healing.

“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.” Anthony de Mello



Click the link for a great article on how to identify, work through, and change your limiting beliefs. http://abundancejournal.com/2007/how-to-get-rid-of-your-limiting-beliefs/



Hansen, Bente. The New World of Self-Healing: Awakening the chakras and rejuvenating your energy field. Llewelleyn Publications: 2006.

August/September Happenings

Transform Yourself! Express Your Health! 6 week class. This class is designed for women who are ready to dig deep, create their vision, and change their lives! Group Workouts mon/wed and with 30 for discussion/speakers on monday. I am bringing in phenomenal speakers in the community to speak on topics that will help you learn and grow mind, body and spirit, and most importantly leave you feeling inspired, empowered and buzzing when you leave.

New Early AM Transform Yourself Workout only class: tue/thurs 7-8am $180 begins Tues September 15

AM Transform Yourself class starting Tues September 15: Tue 8:30-10 and Thurs 9-10am.

Next PM class starts Sept 28 Mon-7-8:15pm and Wed 7-8 pm $ 240 (20 a class)

Class Specials

2 For 1 class with a friend ( new clients only)

Refer 3 friends and get your class FREE!!

Refer one friend to class and save $40.

Refer 2 friends to class and save $70

New! Kitchen Sweep: Are you confused at what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t? If you want some extra attention on your nutrition program at home this is a great program for you. I will come to your kitchen, help you understand the basics of clean eating, get rid of the bad foods ( and donate the extra) , help you create a shopping list and plan some meals, go grocery shopping with you, and even help you cook/prepare a few healthy meals! $70/hour

Hot Moves Seductive dance Class Wed @ 8pm at pivotal wellness
Let your inner temptress out in this new dance class! Get confident, feel sexy, shake your stuff, and have fun with the girls.

Come with a friend and Try class free

$12 drop in, $80-8 punch card

Email lauren@empowerfitness.org or call 407-399-0170 for more info or to sign up

Theme of the Week: Are you wearing the right habits?

“Our Self image and Our Habits tend to go together, change one and you automatically change the other.” Maxwell Maltz

This week I challenge you to create the “happiness habit.” Maxwell Maltz tells us in his book Psycho-Cybernetics that the original meaning of habits is a garment and that our habits are literally a garment worn by our personalities.

They are not accidental or coincidence, they fit us. Habits are something we do without having to think or decide. Do you always brush your teeth before you go to bed? Do you eat with your right hand? Do you exercise on a regular basis?

Habits can be changed and formed. All you have to do is make a conscious choice. If you chose to eat with your left hand instead of your right all the time, eventually you would do this without having to choose. It takes at least 21 days to create a new habit.

What habit are you wearing that you need to clear out of your closet? Are you wearing the latest and greatest you style or are you still keeping those old stuffy lesser evolved version of you clothes around?

The quickest way to change your self-image is by changing your habits.

What new habits do you need to add into your life and what habit needs to go to goodwill?


August/September Happenings

Transform Yourself! Express Your Health! 6 week class. This class is designed for women who are ready to dig deep, create their vision, and change their lives! Group Workouts mon/wed and with 30 for discussion/speakers on monday. I am bringing in phenomenal speakers in the community to speak on topics that will help you learn and grow mind, body and spirit, and most importantly leave you feeling inspired, empowered and buzzing when you leave.

New AM Transform Yourself class starting Tues September 8: Tue 8:30-10 and Thurs 9-10am.

Next PM class starts Sept 28 Mon-7-8:15pm and Wed 7-8 pm $ 240 (20 a class)

Class Specials

Refer 3 friends and get your class FREE!!

Refer one friend to class and save $40.

Refer 2 friends to class and save $70

New! Kitchen Sweep: Are you confused at what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t? If you want some extra attention on your nutrition program at home this is a great program for you. I will come to your kitchen, help you understand the basics of clean eating, get rid of the bad foods ( and donate the extra) , help you create a shopping list and plan some meals, go grocery shopping with you, and even help you cook/prepare a few healthy meals! $70/hour

Hot Moves Seductive dance Class Wed @ 8pm at pivotal wellness
Let your inner temptress out in this new dance class! Get confident, feel sexy, shake your stuff, and have fun with the girls.
$12 drop in, $80-8 punch card

Email lauren@empowerfitness.org or call 407-399-0170 for more info or to sign up

Theme of the week: Change your thoughts, change the world

“Can you afford the consequences of your thinking?”Rev. Cheri Jensen

Thoughts are a powerful thing. Thoughts have the power to drive you crazy and they have the power to create joy and happiness. Today I challenge you to think about the consequences of your thinking. How will your negative thoughts affect your mind, your body, your health?

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Budda

Just think about it for a moment. We think all day long, but we never realize how our thoughts are affecting our bodies and our spirits. Take time to be aware and conscious to how thoughts make you feel, emotionally and physically.

"The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it." Marcus Aurelius

Whatever your goals and intentions this week are, don’t let your thoughts poison you. Don’t shut your emotions out, but don’t let them rule you either. Let your thoughts flow through you not from you.

“Change your thoughts, and you change your world” Norman Vincent Peale

August/September Happenings

Transform Yourself! Express Your Health! 6 week class. This class is designed for women who are ready to dig deep, create their vision, and change their lives! Group Workouts mon/wed and with 30 for discussion/speakers on monday. I am bringing in phenomenal speakers in the community to speak on topics that will help you learn and grow mind, body and spirit, and most importantly leave you feeling inspired, empowered and buzzing when you leave.

New AM Transform Yourself class starting Tues September 8: Tue 8:30-10 and Thurs 9-10am.

Next PM class starts Sept 28 Mon-7-8:15pm and Wed 7-8 pm $ 240 (20 a class)

Class Specials

Refer 3 friends and get your class FREE!!

Refer one friend to class and save $40.

Refer 2 friends to class and save $70

New! Kitchen Sweep: Are you confused at what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t? If you want some extra attention on your nutrition program at home this is a great program for you. I will come to your kitchen, help you understand the basics of clean eating, get rid of the bad foods ( and donate the extra) , help you create a shopping list and plan some meals, go grocery shopping with you, and even help you cook/prepare a few healthy meals! $70/hour

Hot Moves Seductive dance Class Wed @ 8pm at pivotal wellness
Let your inner temptress out in this new dance class! Get confident, feel sexy, shake your stuff, and have fun with the girls.
$12 drop in, $80-8 punch card

Email lauren@empowerfitness.org or call 407-399-0170 for more info or to sign up