Lifes Too Short (advice)

I also wanted to talk about something that's been on my mind since the weekend. On Saturday night my fiance and I had plans to go to our 'couple besties' house for games and a glass of vino (or two;) but it just so happened that my man worked over an hour later than he was supposed to. I waited for him like any good woman may, but he ended up getting an invite from his new work buddies to stop for a drink on his way home (and he just started a new job), so he did. After I waited for two hours for him to finish work, he phoned me to tell me that he would just meet me there because of the invite. I was kind of frustrated but knew in his position I would do the same. This served as a great reminder for me that it's important even when you're in a loving relationship, to just do you. I shouldn't have waited, I wanted to hang out with my friends, so I should have just went with the flow, instead of pacing around waiting for my man to lead the way.

This has been a long lesson for me, I settled down and had children really young, and with that came putting myself aside, I have no regrets and I love my life, and I am so lucky to have found such a loving and supportive mister (especially on this journey to health and fitness, and quite frankly I might not be where I am without), but on this journey to figuring out who I really am and where my passions lie, I've really learnt that if i'm happy, everything falls into place.

You should never put your own plans or life on hold in the wait for somebody else. You can love them, and miss them, but at the end of the day, you're number one. Maybe that sounds a little bit selfish, but what I mean by that is that I truly believe that when you do you first, the rest will come naturally! Maybe this is the key to a happy and fulfilling life. That's not to say you shouldn't do nice deeds for somebody else, it's good for the soul to make others happy, especially those you love, but you can't neglect yourself, or living your own life, or chasing your own dreams, in lieu of those things.When I strive to be content with myself first, the rest of the good stuff falls into place. At the end of the day if you're aiming to be a 'better' person on the inside (and let's face it, the outside too) You shouldn't be doing it for anybody else. I'm doing it because it makes me feel good, and when I feel good, it shines into every aspect of my life. I think this is something we all have to think about, because it's really easy to get caught up in the moment and forget what you really want. If you have a dream, chase it, no excuses. I know that sounds kind of hokey, but it's so true.

Progress goals and Power Balls

It's Motivational Monday again! Today I posted a brief blurb on my Facebook page about what is motivating me this week; the prospect of Concrete Hero this summer (August 17th). Concrete Hero is a obstacle race (think Tough Mudder) for a cause, the BC Cancer Foundation. My bestie Lindsay and I have been trying to come up with a team name so we can get registered but so far we got nothin' (and i've been hummin' n' hawin' for over a week)! Anyways, so i'm excited to train a little harder with this in mind, because it's going to be a lot tougher than the runs i've done in the past due to the obstacles. I completed Emporer's last year with silver (A 20 km mountain race in Tumbler Ridge) so I have no doubts about this run and can't wait for the adrenaline high! I haven't been running as of late because i've been focusing on HIIT, including skipping and the occasional sprint, but no long runs. For training last year I usually ran 5-6 days a week for half an hour, with an incline sprint every 10 minutes for 1 whole minute, then at least one longer run OR trail run a week (6+ km). I think i'm going to start running asap (as in probably today) I think i'm going to play with my routine a little bit and maybe train with shorter runs (15-20 minute sprints) combined with my usual HIIT/strength workout, and then one long run a week to build my endurance. I'm also going to have to adjust my food because i've been eating low low carb since I started paleo (probably only one serving of carbs per day) and i'm not sure what i'll need if i'm doing more cardio each day. My carbs will consist of either quinoa, berries, or tuber veggies like sqaush and yam. I probably don't need to start training this early, but I really want to rock it!

We obviously all have big goals like looking good, losing weight (feeling better/healthier), or even setting an example for our children, but our other performance goals like completing a run that is a certain distance, or even small progress goals each week, can be even more important when it comes to fuelling our fire, especially since you can sometimes forget about the BIG picture if your results aren't coming as quickly as you expected. My goal this week is to get in 2 runs maintaining a 6mi/hr pace and to increase my daily push-up number by 5! What is something that is motivating YOU this week? I would love to hear from you!

Last week I posted a recipe for home made almond milk/coconut milk, if you made it you probably were left with a huge container each of the 'pulp' what to do, what to do?? I meant to post about this sooner but didn't get the chance. I decided to turn my 'pulp' into Paleo Power Balls!

Ingredients:
(use organic ingredients whenever possible)

10 dates (I used medjool)
1/2 cup leftover almond pulp (OR raw dry almonds, or other nut)
3/4 cup leftover coconut pulp (OR dry coconut flakes, or any nut)
1/2 cup nut butter (I used almond)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs cinnamon
1tsp vanilla
1/8th tsp sea salt
1/4-1/2 cup coconut flour (this will vary depending on if you used the leftover pulps, or dry nuts, as the pulp is wet, if you are using dry nuts it may not need much flour)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

For Rolling
1/4 cup flaked coconut optional
1/4 cup sesame seeds (or other seed) optional

The method:
In a food processor (I used my Ninja), combine all ingredients (excluding the coconut flour and chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and sesame seeds) until well mixed. At this point it will probably be quite dry, add coconut flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and mix until its cookie-dough consistency. Add chocolate chips and hand mix, then roll into 1.5 inch balls. In a small bowl, add flaked coconut and sesame seeds, and roll each ball. Refrigerate in an air tight container for at least an hour. My batch made 12 balls, but this could vary depending on if you used the pulp or not.

12 minus one, thanks to a little Summer cutie

I also made another batch  to try and use up all the leftover pulp I had These ones were more coconut based... let's call them.

-1/2 cup leftover almond pulp (OR raw dry almonds, or other nut)
-3/4 cup leftover coconut pulp (OR dry coconut flakes, or any nut)
-1/2 cup coconut 'Manna' butter (By nutiva, I find mine in the peanut butter isle at my local Pricesmart, I posted about this awhile ago but in case you missed it, it's pure coconut flesh in a jar the consistency of a butter)
-1/2 cup coconut flakes
-1/4 cup of coconut oil
-1/4 cup honey
-1tsp vanilla
-1/2-1/4 cup coconut flour (this will vary depending on you used the leftover pulps, or dry nuts, as the pulp is wet, if you are using dry nuts it may not need much flour)

For Rolling
1/2 cup of hemp seeds optional (you could also use any other seed or coconut flakes it's all whatever you like best!:)

The method:
In a food processor (I used my Ninja), combine all ingredients (excluding the coconut flour) until well mixed. At this point it will probably be quite wet, add coconut flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and mix until its cookie-dough consistency. Roll into 1.5 inch balls. In a small bowl, add hemp seeds, and roll each ball. Refrigerate in an air tight container for atleast an hour. This batch made 10 balls, but again this could vary depending on if you used the pulp or not.

Today is the second to last day of the Raw Recharge Challenge, it went by SO fast! I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, I'm definitely feeling 'recharged'. My juice this morning was 1.5 cups of water, half a lemon juiced, a handful of herb mix, a handful of cilantro, and 4 stalks of celery. Not too bad.

<3-Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

ass-saturday

I've been a bit quiet over the weekend, playing catch up at home and a night out! I was planning on going to yoga this morning with my bestie but I was too tired after a late night. Today is my active rest day. So far not a lot of active has happened but I think I might repeat my ab workout from the other day.

Today is day 5 of the Raw Recharge Challenge! Almost a week already! I'm definitely loving it and think that i'm going to make it a part of my daily routine. Since I didn't post yesterday I thought i'd share my juice...which was MORNING MOJITO MINT! So yummy! It was 1.5 cups fresh coconut milk, a handful of fresh mint, half a cucumber, and one lime.

(and  day 5:)

Just a little insight into what I might eat in a day I thought i'd share my meals yesterday (which is one of the only days a week I get to just be home and eat 3 meals not rushed). Breakfast was my green smoothie, local bacon, and 2 soft poached farm eggs.
I had a afternoon workout, so after, I had 1/4 cup cooked quinoa, couple raw cashews, 1tbs each of hemp and sunflower seeds, 2 tbs organic bittersweet fair trade chocolate chips and a dash of cinnamon! It was awesome, energizing and SO clean;) Dinner I just kind of threw together on our way out the door for myself because the kids had quesidillas (which I hate feeding them but they are my girls FAVE) so I had an 'avocado' boat filled with homemade taco seasoned local beef (I used lime zest, onion, garlic, cumin, hot sauce, salt and pepper, cilantro for seasoning, but I will post a recipe asap:), topped with salsa and garnished with cilantro. I didn't really snack throughout the day but I had 3 buttered coffees (you can find the 'method' here.)

Now to the ass! Yesterday was my favorite workout day...Ass day. I love love love squats 'cuz sometimes pain is beauty and I know anytime i'm doing them it's paying off. 

10 minutes turbo skip followed by stretching (VERY IMPORTANT to warm up, and stretch! Don't skip this!)

I did  6 rounds of 5 exercises,  30 seconds on 10 seconds rest (totalling 30 rounds/15 minutes)

1. Squat jumps
2. Low squat side lunge
3. Plie squat 'pulses (plie squat but stay low and move up and down slightly;)
4. Lunge and twist (right and left)
5. Deadlifts (I used 20 lbs on a t-bar, but if you don't have a bar you could do regular squats)

(If you don't have a timer you could do 30 total of each exercise in sets of 10)

Take a Quick Breathe...QUICK (keep your heart rate up!)

50 Burpees!!!!!
Full burpees please, with a push up, don't skip the pushup, go to your knees if you must but JUST DO IT!

Stretch! Don't forget post workout snack!

<3- Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

FOODPORN Friday

TGI..FOODPORN FRIDAY!! What's on your menu?! Are you keeping it clean?! I'm watching you;) we're having roasted carrots with fresh dill, s+p, and ill add raw honey at the end, roasted potatoes, with garlic, chopped onion, fresh mint , and s+ p, with steamed broccoli (not pictured) and local New York steak I got from our meat 'dealer'.

  

Yesterday's food porn... 

 

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

-1 package of prawns thawed and peeled

-1 tbs coconut flour 

-1/4-cup shredded coconut

-4-5 carrots (washed & chopped) 

-1 green bell pepper

-1 yellow pepper 

-3 cloves of garlic 

-1 yellow onion 

-4 tbs butter or coconut oil (divided) - you'll need 2 for the bake, and 2 for the prawn saute 

-4-5 tbs curry spice 

-1/4 cup coconut milk. (+ More if needed)
-1 lime juiced 

-1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt 

-pepper to taste 

-fresh cilantro for garnish 

The Method:

Preheat oven to 400c

Chop carrots, peppers, crush garlic, 

add remaining ingredients, bake 

in an oven safe dish uncovered for 

about an hour, stirring occasionally 

(if it starts to stick add a bit more coconut milk) 

In the last 10 minutes: preheat pan to medium heat, and melt 

coconut oil, Rinse and dry prawns, 

roll in coconut flour and flakes, when the oil is melted sautée over medium heat until cooked (only a few minutes once they 'curl' and are pink ) could serve over cooked rice or  keep it paleo and serve over quinoa, garnish with cilantro. Enjoy <3

Today was also day 3 of the Raw Recharge Challenge, did you get yours in?! Mine was soo good ! Fresh coconut milk, cilantro, cucumber, line, and herb mix. If you haven't started yet its not too late! :) 

Happy Friday! Let's keep it a clean and active weekend! 

<3 -Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

Day 1 Raw Recharged, & Cauliflower Crust

It's Wednesday! 'Hump' day, or what I'm calling workout Wednesday today! Did you get your workout in? I did, under some pressure as I had to rush to shower post workout and rush out the door to my hair appointment. I also couldn't work out any childcare for my youngest daughter, Summer, during my cut and color... So I'm at my appointment, cutie in tow:) 

She was actually really good and I think she enjoyed hanging out with mommy!;) 

What else is awesome about Wednesday? Today is the day the Raw Recharge challenge starts! (If you missed last post about the guidelines or what this is all about see last post here. 

I'm so excited! Today my green juice consisted of coconut water, fresh from a coconut which I had on hand, cucumber, celery, lemon, and basil! Juicing today with my ninja and strainer also was a much bigger success, I think maybe due to not adding the avocado it passed through my strainer with ease! :) 

Tomorrow I'm thinking maybe ill do coconut water, cucumber, herb mix, fresh dill, lemon, and maybe a carrot ? Not sure how that will go over in the blender... 

On another note, I posted earlier on my Facebook page that I would post a recipe for...... 

Ingredients: 

 I used all organic ingredients, this isn't necessary but I recommend it :) 

-1 medium sized head if cauliflower ;about 4 cups if cauliflower 'rice' 

-1 egg

-2-4 Tbs coconut flour 

-1tbs basil 

-1tbs oregano 

-1tbs crushed garlic 

-tbs olive oil 

1/2tsp sea salt

The method:

Preheat oven to 400c. Wash and dry cauliflower. Cut florets (you don't want much stem) and put in food processor (I used my ninja food processor, which I LOVE:), pulse for 30-40 seconds until it resembles little round bits like rice but more round. Preheat a pan to medium heat, add cauliflower 'rice', cook for about four minutes (this will release the moisture)  stirring a few times. I used paper towel but you could use a dish cloth to squeeze as much of the moisture out as possible, this is very important!! Then I add the remaining ingredients (add 2tbs coconut flour, if it still seems too moist add another 1tbs-2), cauliflower rice, and blend with my dough paddle/setting (in my ninja) until well combined. The dough should be sticky and forming a ball but not quite the consistency of 'real' dough. Then I pat onto a parchment covered pizza pan and bake on 400 for about 5 minutes ( until the sides are just browned) Enjoy!!!!:)
...and for those of you who may have missed 'Tornado Tuesday' on fb, keep this in mind on WORKOUT WEDNESDAY! :) 

<3-Steph 

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

THE CHALLENGE...

First off, I am so excited, I feel so humbled and grateful this week for the out pour of love and support! For those reading this I am SO glad you are here! This week (Starting January 29th) I am 'running' a 7 day Raw Juice Recharge Challenge! I want to empower myself (and hopefully a few others this week) to work together, and take a little extra time to nourish our bodies in the quickest and most efficient way possible...RAW Vegetables! It can't really get any closer to nature than that. This WON'T be the type of cleanse where you drink only juice. I want us to feel revitalized and energized! Throughout the course of this week we will stick to our standard 3 meals a day plus snacks as needed.

The clincher: clean foods only! I want to kickstart a little team support system on my page so please share pictures of your smoothie/juice and meals via my facebook page, or even message/email! I would love to hear from you!

For those of you completely 'green' to this lifestyle, what exactly is clean eating?

Eating clean involves not only choosing the right foods to eat but also avoiding all of the junk foods and processed foods that are so readily available. The keys to good health and proper nutrition are in the following principles:

Eat whole foods: Whole foods are foods that haven’t been tampered with, in the lab or the manufacturing plant. The foods you eat on this plan are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, avoiding wheat is ideal: optimal grains are rice and quinoa, grass-fed and free-range meats, whole dairy products (avoid sweetened processed dairy products), unsalted nuts (raw is ideal), and seeds.

Avoid processed foods: Processed foods are any food that has a label. A label means that more than one ingredient was used to make that food. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your shopping basket.
Eliminate refined sugar. Refined sugar provides nothing but calories. Other sweeteners can be used (raw honey, coconut sugar, stevia, or agave syrup are great options), but with all the good foods you add to your diet, refined sugar really has very little place in the eating clean plan.

Eat five or six small meals a day. By eating smaller meals throughout the day you can help rev up your metabolism and reduce the chance that you’ll eat a bag of chips on the go instead of a rice cake with nut butter and strawberries. You never get so hungry on this plan so you shouldn't feel deprived or feel the need to 'cheat'.

Cook your own meals. Instead of buying meals in a box, cook meals from scratch. That’s not as hard as it sounds! Clean, whole foods need little preparation beyond chopping, sautéing, steaming to make satisfying, delicious meals your family will love.

Combine protein with carbs. When you do snack or eat a meal, make sure that meal is balanced. For the most satisfaction from your diet, and so you’ll be less tempted to eat junk food, combine protein with carbs or carbs and fat. This simple act will fuel your body and quash hunger pangs. (for example if you eat an apple at snack time, pair it with a serving of
almonds ) 

I did a trial run with my juice today, as I don't actually have a juicer I used my Ninja blender and then sifted with a fine strainer (like the kind you use to sift flour) this method was definitely not ideal, and messy (to say the lease), but sometimes you gotta work with watcha' got, so thats how i'll be rollin' for the duration of this challenge. Now recipes... today my smoothie was filtered water, a handful of herb salad, cilantro, 1/4 cucumber, a lime, and half an avocado, it was actually really refreshing, and I had no problems slammin' 'er back :)

For more ideas and recipes I follow a website called Young and Raw and they are definitely worth a look if you're stumped on ideas or want creative ways to work with ingredients you already have in the fridge.

Brief Benefits of Incorporating Raw Vegetable Juice Into Your Day:

-You will easily consume more fresh vegetables than you normally would, which are pumped full of vitamins, minerals and beneficial enzymes.

-Raw juice is loaded with antioxidants which will bind to toxins that will then be removed from the body.

-Raw vegetable juice is very alkalizing which will help the body get back to it's ideal pH while assisting in the detox process. Foods we eat like sugar, fried foods, bread, alcohol, animal products, ect. are very acidic. Over time the build up can cause an inflammatory response which puts stress on our tissues and organs.

-I've been asked green juice vs: green smoothies, what difference does it make? When the vegetables have been juicd the insoluble fiber is extracted making the nutrients more readily available, which means less energy for your body to use digesting, meaning there will be more energy left for healing your body! Raw juice is easier on the digestive tract than green smoothies.

Happy Juicing!!!

Motivational Monday... was a labour of love.

So this morning I wanted to make a 'podcast' while driving in the car as I had a really busy day planned, part of which involved me driving to the next town an hour there, and  then back again to run some errands. I thought, podcast, how hard can it be, i'll just whip up a lil' sompin' sompin'... three unsuccessful recordings later I still had no sucess with uploading to either facebook or email. Then once I got one of them attatched to facebook the user would need to download to soundcloud to listen. In the end I decided 'eff that, I'll just bite the bullet and do the unthinkable... and so my youtube journey begins. 

This video was indeed a labor of love, but in case you don't get to watch the video I'll touch briefly on what I talked about. What motivates ME? My hopeful career in health and fitness, inspiring others to improve their overall wellness (sounds very cliche, I know, but watch the video and you'll get a more detailed perspective:)
Then there's whom I look up to/am inspired by: Dave Asprey, JJ Virgin, and Kristen Suzanne were all the 'big names' I mentioned (though there are many more, I just wanted to keep it as brief as possible and those are the big ones for me in the now). At the end of the video I get cut off right before saying my goodbyes, this is because I was recording on my Ipad when suddenly the memory reached it's breaking point and shut 'er... um me..down. So the last thing I want to say today is I hope you had a fabulously motivated monday. :)

Theres also a couple quick recipes I wanted to share today. Usually I prepare snacks for my kids and hubby for the week on a Sunday night, as we have a lot of activity throughout the week. However, last night I was so busy blogging and getting my workout in along with an early bedtime to go out of town, that I didn't get a chance to do my usual Sunday night bake-a-thon, and so it turned into a Monday task. On the menu: Bacon Cheddar Friattas and awesome lil' bites I have decided to call Coco-Choco-Nanna muffins. :)



Bacon Cheddar Friattas:
6 eggs (free range local eggs if possible)
1 cup organic whole milk
1 cup shredded organic cheddar
1 cup chopped bacon (I used local, but if you can find local and grassfed that is ideal)
1 cup organic bell papper
1 cup organic chopped green onion

The Method:
Preheat oven to 375C, line 12 regular sized muffin tins with liners, I really prefer to use parchment muffin liners as they come right off after baking and you don't have to worry about them getting stuck. Whip the eggs and milk by whatever means suits you,, and then stir in the rest of the ingredients and divide evenely into lined muffin tins. Obviously you can exchange the meat, and veggies for whichever ingredients you like. Eezy Peezy. I baked for about 20 minutes, checking near the end as to not over cook.



Coco-Choco-Nana Muffins:
5 Eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2.5 over ripe bananas
1tbs real vanilla extract
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1tsp aluminum free baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dark, fair trade chocolate chips (I used camino)(optional)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

The Method:
Preheat oven at 375C. Line 12 regular sized baking tins with liners, again I used  use parchment muffin liners as they come right off after baking and you don't have to worry about them getting stuck, which can sometimes be a problem with grain free baking. Beat eggs, coconut oil, banana, and then the remaining ingredients (leaving the chocolate chips and coconut flakes for last).

Now, some of you may be asking, what's with all the eggs? As my I follow a strict grain free lifestyle most of my baking is grain free, which requires more egg to hold it's shape, texture, just in general be an awesome work of kitchen magic. I'm not worried about the fat of the yolks as I'm aiming for high fat low, carb, and I know that this is the best fuel for my body. I encourage anybody and everybody to experiment with a grain free approach!

Enjoy! :)

<3 - Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.