Recharging My Battery

Just three weeks ago, I was worn down, suffering from anxiety attacks and depression, I couldn't focus on anything, I ached all over, I was waking up a lot during the night and had times I couldn't get back to sleep, my coffee intake was through the roof, my digestion was terrible, I was bloated, and I was having major sugar binges. I wasn't feeling like myself and I was miserable and making my family miserable. It was time for a Reset.

The Ultimate Reset is a combination of healthy foods and supplements over 21 days to clean out the toxins, get the body back in balance, and help with digestion, restore energy, boost the metabolism, etc. It's supposed to make you feel better by eating good food and getting rid of the crap. (at times, literally)

My mom had just come back for the summer, so we decided to do this together! Before we started I was really nervous. I hate salads! Give me meat and potatoes and I'm happy. With the Reset, I couldn't have any of that! What was I thinking?! I of course had a fantastic "last meal" the day before we started; pizza, dessert, etc. All those yummy things I couldn't have for 21 days. Oh, and I couldn't do my workouts! You're not supposed to do intense workouts during the Reset so the body can focus on the internal work, so I had to cut down to only light yoga and walking. And then it began...

Over the three weeks, we cut out sugar, caffeine, meat, dairy, grains, and legumes. The first four days, I had a migraine. I'm sure it's from cutting out all the sugar and caffeine. After that passed, I was much better though. The rest of that week and the second week were a breeze! The third week was torture for lunch! During the first two weeks, we had different kinds of salads with quinoa, we had rice and beans, etc., but the 3rd week was my nightmare: salads every.single.day for lunch. Are they freaking kidding me?! I have to admit that it kinda grew on me though. Well, a teensy bit. The salad we ate most days had a TON of different veggies, and I love the Creamy Garlic Dressing! Oh, and have you had toasted pumpkin seeds in your salad?? Yumm!! (I just have to hide them from my daughter before she eats the all.) I will actually try to add salads in a few times a week from now on, but I still don't want to see it ALL THE TIME. I might add some quinoa, hard boiled egg or something else though.

Other than the salad, I actually enjoyed the food! There was quite a bit to eat, and the recipes were great! My mom and I could live on the Zucchini-Cashew Soup and the stir-frys! Definitely going in my recipe app! I made it a little easier on myself the last week too and chose the baked sweet potato for a side. That gave me something to look forward too.

By the way, you know you have a food problem when you start dreaming about french fries and ice cream at night! lol! Apparently the addiction to those foods was trying to make me stray.

So, how did the Reset help me? After 21 Days, this is how I'm feeling:

• I have ENERGY!! I actually wake up and I'm ready to go! No more pre-workout drink or coffee needed to get a jump-start! 
• I'm focused again! I don't have the "squirrel" syndrome going on!
• My digestion is fantastic! Sorry if TMI, but we all have problems sometimes.
• I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and I'm OUT for the night!
• The inflammation is GONE! No more joint or back and neck pain! 
• I haven't had any anxiety attacks since I started, and I feel happy!! 
• I lost 10 1/2 lbs in 21 days!! I'm having a hard time keeping my pants up! 
• I actually like asparagus now! 
• Proud of myself for making it through 21 Days and NO cheats!! 
• Happy that I was able to do this with my mom and spend that extra time with her. By the way, she's feeling fantastic too! She can even eat citrus for the first time in many, many years! It used to cause canker sores and horrible jaw pain. We had citrus almost daily during the Reset, and she didn't have a problem! She lost 9 1/2 lbs! 

ALL this from eating super healthy and cleaning out my body, and we did not starve! There were even times that we couldn't finish all the food! 

Today was the first day after. I'm slowly introducing foods back in. They recommend adding grains the first week after, but I honestly don't miss them. Instead, my daughter (10) surprised me with her amazing scrambled eggs this morning. I also had a hard boiled egg on my salad (yep, still gotta stick with those for a bit), and I made an omelette for dinner full of veggies. Next I'll start adding in different meats, dairy, grains, and legumes one at a time to see which ones affect my digestion, my sleep, cause the inflammation, etc., so I know what I need to avoid from now on. I want to continue feel this amazing! It's really crazy how changing foods can make such an impact on your life! 

If you want to learn more about the Ultimate Reset, click HERE.

I also started another round of the 21 Day Fix workout program this morning! It felt so good to be back to it! And it was a great workout! They recommend holding back and only going 50% for the first few days to a week, but I had a hard time holding back! I just had so much energy and wanted to MOVE! It's 21 days until our trip to Nashville, and I can't wait to see what this next 21 brings! 

Shakeology: A Possible Migraine Relief?

Could Shakeology® help relieve migraines?

How often do you have to miss out on life because you have another migraine? I don't know about you, but I get so angry and frustrated just thinking about all the times I've had to miss out on things like playing with my daughter, spending time with my husband, hanging with friends and family, going on trips, and even ordinary things like being able to make dinner and going to work.

Did you know that it's estimated that 36 million people in America suffer from migraines?! That’s more than those who experience diabetes and asthma combined! I couldn't believe when I read that! I had no idea there are that many other people going through this too. How sad is that?? According to the Migraine Research Foundation, there are three times as many women (27 million, to be more exact) than men who suffer from these severe headaches and other associated symptoms.

When you’ve experienced any of the symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, auras, sensitivity to light and/or sounds, etc., I'm sure you're like me, and you would do ANYTHING to simply make it go away. My husband knows it's bad when I'm begging to go in to the ER for a shot or get an IV. I hate needles, but I just NEED the pain to be gone! I can't tell you how many different treatments I've tried between meds and home remedies. Medications and learning your headache triggers are often the only treatments available, and it's not always easy to pinpoint exactly what the trigger might be! It's a long, horrible process that you have to keep suffering through, and how many times does it turn out to be one of our favorite foods? I miss chocolate so much! That's just a whole new level of suffering! Suffering through them, however, and enduring the excruciating pain is the norm for many of us migraine victims. And when you're in that much pain and they come frequently, you can develop symptoms of depression. It affects your emotions, and you are frustrated, disappointed, angry, sad, scared, tired of hurting, exhausted, and a myraid of other feelings. You wonder if you'll ever feel good again. Heck, sometimes you forget what it feels like to NOT hurt. 

However, there might be hope! There are no clinical trials that indicate that Shakeology® will or won’t help reduce your migraine symptoms. However, there are a TON of Shakeology® drinkers who will testify to how their daily shake has helped them. I'm one of them!! Some don’t have to take medication any more. Others haven’t had a migraine in months. I have noticed a huge decrease in the frequency and severity of my migraines! I went from a couple per week down to about one per MONTH!! 

Check out these other testimonials:

“I’ve been taking Excedrin daily for years due to headaches and migraines. Since I started drinking Shakeology® daily five weeks ago, I rarely have ANY headaches. Geez…the money I’ve saved on medicine, alone, is worth it! Not to mention, I hardly have any cravings,” commented Josephine.

Lindsay says, “I used to get horrible migraines quite often. But, since I started using Shakeology®, they’ve greatly decreased.”

Amanda had a similar experience: “I have had chronic migraines my whole life, and I can totally agree that Shakeology® has helped me. I feel great and only get headaches when I drink too much, which is too be expected. LOL!”

Sarah agrees, too. She claimed, “My migraines have decreased significantly due to drinking Shakeology® daily. This is coming from someone who has tried EVERYTHING!”

Zoe is extremely thankful she switched to Shakeology® and a healthier lifestyle. She provides this testimony: “I suffered from migraines for years. I went through numerous exams, tests and different doctors. I was on Imitrex, Maxalt, you name it. Also to mention, I was on ADHD (Strattera) and anxiety medications. Living a healthier lifestyle + working out + changing my nutrition to whole foods (organic and natural) helped me a lot. Shakeology® also played a good part in it. I slowly weaned off the medications and have been medication free since January 2010 and use natural remedies if I do have bad migraine spells, which don’t happen as often as before. It has been pretty rare that I get migraines/headaches… I believe making positive changes help in all aspects in your life, body and well being.”

Trish Lynn shares:  “I have suffered with migraines since middle school and throughout the years I have tried many different prescriptions and none of them have worked. They have either made me severely sick or just didn’t work. Since I started Shakeology my migraines have completely gone away and I have even noticed that if I miss a shake its guaranteed that I will get a headache. It’s pretty much become like medicine to me and I am so thankful that this has come into my life.”

Brenda “Since starting Shakeology, I’ve only had to give myself 4 injections for my migraines, and taken very few other meds for them! I used to take just that in a week! AND, I finally feel good enough to start exercising again! Migraines and headaches are not as bad! However, if I skip a day of Shakeology, I usually get a mild headache towards evening. There is something in that shake that keeps the daily headaches away, and the migraines from occurring as often.”

Shakeology® fuels your body with the healthy vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly. And, while health experts identify migraines as neurological disorders, the symptoms and the frequency may be reduced by drinking a daily dose of Shakeology®. The disorder can’t be cured, but you may be able to diminish the symptoms that rob you of your quality of life.

And, if it’s as easy as mixing up a shake a day and drinking it, I’m all in!  Order Here!

Egg Cups

This recipe comes from the 21 Day Fix Extreme nutrition guide. I've been making these every week for snacks. Trying to fit in all my veggies and proteins each day for 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme can be difficult at times, and these little gems make it so much easier!! I'm not usually a fan of spinach, but I can't even taste it in here! Add a little hot sauce (Free food!), and spice it up a bit! I like to change up the seasonings and veggies to mix up the flavor too. I recommend trying "Mural of Flavor" from Penzey's. 

Makes 6 servings, 2 cups each

12 eggs, beaten

Sea Salt and pepper 

5oz fresh spinach, chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 12 serving muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray. 

Beat the eggs well and mix in the salt and pepper. 

Pour egg mixture into prepared muffin pan. 

Top with chopped veggies. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Enjoy!!

21 Day Fix = 1 Red and 1 Green 

Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice

This recipe comes from the Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Cookbook by Mark Sissons. I use my food processor to quickly grate the cauliflower. Really comes out like rice! I like to double the recipe so we have lots of leftovers for lunches. :)

Makes 3 servings

3 tbsp sesame or coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3/4 lb pork, cut into small pieces (raw or cooked)
4 tbsp tamari
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 sm head cauliflower, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup frozen peas
4 scallions, roughly chopped

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Add onion and saute until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the meat and 1 tbsp of tamari. Saute 2-3 minutes (or longer if raw meat needs more time) then add the remaining oil, the garlic, and the cauliflower. Saute 2-3 minutes.

Add the eggs and remaining tamari. Stir constantly as the egg cooked, then add peas and chopped scallions. Cook just a minute or two more. Enjoy!

Cucumber Tomato Salad

We fell in love with this salad when we did the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, and it has become a staple on our menu. It's quick & easy to toss together. Even my husband can do it! We have it for lunch, dinner, or a snack! If we use it as a side salad, we just do a 1/2 recipe each. I've even made it for parties, and it's always a hit. 

Serves 2:

4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 med cucumber, peeled partially, cut lengthwise, sliced
2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped fresh (or 2 tsp dried) Italian parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh (or 2 tsp dried) basil
Himalayan or Sea Salt to taste (optional)
Herbal seasoning blend of your choice to taste (optional)

Combine vinegars, lemon juice, and oil in a bowl; mix well. Set aside. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, basil, salt, and herb blend in a large bowl; mix well. Add dressing; gently toss and serve!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Wow! This was delicious!! I found this recipe online, and I am in love! My husband couldn't stop raving about it, and he's already asking me to make it again! Little does he know that I have two more already made for breakfast. ;)

Ingredients:

Serves 4:

• 2 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs  turkey breakfast sausage
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 eggs (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Place the acorn squash, cut side down, on a cookie sheet and back 20-25 minutes or until the squash is soft when you press on the skin. Remove from the oven and let cool a little.
3. While the squash is cooking, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until the onion turns translucent.
4. Add the turkey breakfast sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking up the sausage as it cooks, until no longer pink. 
5. Turn heat to low.
6. With a spoon, scoop out the insides of the squash being careful not to go through the skin.
7. Mix together the squash and the meat until well blended. 
8. Scoop the mixture back into the shells. 
9. **Optional** With a spoon, make a well inside the mixture, and crack an egg into the well. 
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes (or until the egg is cooked to your liking).
11. Enjoy!! 

You could also put the filling into a baking dish instead of the individual squash skins. It would be great for a party! 

Chicken BLT

My husband and I are starting a whole foods nutrition plan, so I'm finding creative ways to make food without grains or dairy. This Chicken BLT was fantastic!! The chicken is the bun! You can cook the chicken ahead of time, and reheat and stuff when you're ready! 

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts, boneless skinless

6 strips Bacon, cooked

Spinach

1 Tomato

1 Avacado

1/4 cup Pico de Gallo

Preheat oven to 350.

Season chicken. I used salt, pepper, garlic, and Old World seasoning from Penzey's. 

Bake chicken 15 min per side or until cooked through. 

While the chicken is cooking, mash the avocado, and mix in the pico. 

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise, but don't cut all the way through. Fill with spinach, tomato, bacon, and avocado mixture. 

Enjoy!

***I know bacon is sketchy with the whole foods plan. There are some places out there have bacon that fits into the criteria. But I'm going at this with a 80% accuracy, because I am NOT perfect and trying to be brings on too much stress. And let's be honest, it's bacon! Bacon makes everything better!