Healthy Turkey Day Tips

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays of the year!  But it's also one of the easiest holidays to indulge a little too much on Thursday and then the whole weekend with family time, leftovers, shopping and football games makes it even easier to get a little of track.  

I absolutely believe in having a few treats every now and then, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to enjoy homemade treats (in moderation of course!) that we wouldn't normally get during the year.  

Before the big day, I like to think about a few things to help me decide how tackle the whole week.
I think about how I want to feel Friday morning and Sunday night.
I set my goals for this week.
I set your intentions for this week.
I think about how healthy and how much energy I want to have the entire week.

These are the things that I'm focusing on this week to ensure that I'm feeling my best and STILL enjoying a couple treats!

1. To eat as healthy as possible up until the big day with intentional healthy food choices. I plan my meals for Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur morning and Friday.  I will eat more fresh vegetables (at least 3 to 4 servings per day).  Salads are a great way to easily add more vegetables each day.  I will increase water intake.  I will watch portion sizes.

2. To schedule exercise each day (including Thursday)

3. To decide which treats you will have on Thursday and which healthy options you're going to be sure to have on your plate.

4. Don't feel guilty about a treat or two.

5. Get right back on track Friday morning with more water, more vegetables and more exercise.

Portion sizes are where many of us struggle.  It's so easy to add a little more casserole, stuffing  or gravy when we're making our plates.  During any holiday, I use a couple simple tips to help me eat healthier.  First, I fill the majority of my plate with vegetables.  Healthy vegetable side dishes and salads are perfect choices. This way there’s less room on your plate for the unhealthier foods! You’ll see this in the picture below.  Then I add my protein onto the plate.  Then after that I will add a little bit of stuffing or casserole once all of the healthy choices are on my plate.

Zesty Italian Pork Chops

Some days I really want to cook, other days I don't want to cook at all!  Tonight was one of the nights that I didn't really feel like cooking, but with the holiday coming this week, I'm staying on track with all of my meals until Thursday's supper treats.  I normally like to roast a couple pans of vegetables on Sunday, but I'm without an oven right now and I'm improvising a little and doing everything on the stove.  

So tonight I cooked super simple pork chops that are so moist and tasty, sauteed zucchini in olive oil and steamed some potatoes in the microwave.  All total super took me about 15 minutes to make!  And Burney isn't a pan cooked pork chop fan normally, but he LOVES these!

Zesty Italian Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Flavor God Italian Zest seasoning
Salt/pepper

Directions:
1. Salt & pepper each chop
2. Combine garlic powder and Italian Zest in shallow bowl
3. Dredge pork chops in seasoning mixture
4. Heat skillet drizzled with olive oil on med-high heat
5. Add pork chops.  Cook 4 minutes each side on med-high heat, then cook 3 minutes each side on med-low heat.

Super simple and super tasty!
Perfect pairings are sautéed zucchini seasoned with Italian Zest and potatoes or sweet potatoes.

The Truth: My CORE DE FORCE Week 1 Experience & RECIPE!

First, I have to say that I love, love, love this program!  It’s a perfect fit for me.  We’ll talk more about that shortly.

I’m going to begin with what this workout program isn’t.  It isn’t easy.  It isn’t a walk in the park.  It’s nothing like the boxing workouts that we all know from way back.  And it isn’t for everyone.  I just knew that Burney was going to enjoy this program, but he didn’t like it at all.  He tried 3 workouts and decided that it’s not for him.  I understand this because every program that we release is not for every person.  

Now, on to why I’m so excited to workout with this program each day!

The workouts are challenging and hard work.  Each move is explained so we all begin the workouts with good understanding of what’s to come in the workout.  It’s physically and mentally demanding, IN A GOOD WAY!  The punch and kick combinations force us to think about and concentrate on how our body is moving and how our muscles are working.  We do have a modifier in each workout when we need to take the intensity down a notch with any of the exercises.  It’s a bodyweight workout, so no equipment is needed at all! 

This is an amazing workout for our bodies as well as our minds.  The two trainers who created this workout have combined moves from kickboxing, boxing and Muay Thai workouts along with bodyweight training and cardio conditioning to produce the most effective MMA-inspired workouts to help us all achieve our fitness goals.  The entire workout focuses on our core with each move, this is what we call the 360-degree core training concept.  This 30 day program (or longer because I’m going to want to complete another round!) is a total body transformation program that is going to change the shape of our bodies.  

When I began, I was concerned about the length of a few of the workouts because I love 30 minute workouts.  There are 8 total workouts in the weekly rotation and we follow a workout schedule provided with the program.  Workout length ranges from 27 to 47 minutes with one active recovery day each week.  Now, I honestly believe that each and every one of us will be able to make time in our day for a workout, even if it’s 47 minutes.  These workouts are so much fun, the time just flies by.  And each workout is broken down into 3-minute “rounds” just like a boxing match, then you have a short break and move on to the next round.

The nutrition component of this program is SIMPLE and based on eating healthy, clean foods in the proper portions.  The nutrition guide is basically like the 21 day fix nutrition concept, and is easy to learn!  During weeks 2 and 3 we bump up our calorie intake slightly because demanding workouts require that we fuel our metabolism with enough food to keep our bodies in fat burning mode! 

My personal thoughts from week 1:

- I LOVE the mix of boxing, kickboxing, bodyweight training and cardio, it’s fun and keeps my muscles guessing.
- It’s hard, but not so hard that I’m frustrated and just want to give up.  The modifier gives me options in each workout when I need a little break.
- This workout makes me feel strong and in control as I’m focusing on my muscle movement in each exercise.
- This workout is great therapy and stress relief for me!
- This program is just what I needed to renew my “try harder” mojo!  I’m back on track and trying even harder to achieve my goals!
- This holiday season, I’m going to be feeling my best, have more energy and enjoy myself even more!

The nutrition guide come with some great, simple recipes to help us all have the best results possible!
Condiments can be so unhealthy for us and full of sugar, this recipe is a great alternative that’s also simple to make!
Here is one of my favs from Core De Force – Maple BBQ sauce!

Chocolate Caramel Shakeology Cups

November 1st I committed to decreasing my added sugars.  I specifically committed to no coffee creamer, no candy and no kind bars for the next 30 days.  And let me just tell you that after only 6 days of not eating these things, I feel amazing.  Now, I wasn't eating much candy or kind bars, but I was using coffee creamer each day.  But even that little bit of sugar has a crazy way of affecting me, causing horrible sugar crashes, changing my moods, causing my skin to break out and just making me have no energy.  Even having just the little bit that I had here and there, once in a while, made me feel horrible.  So this commitment to myself is all about committing to feeling better and having more energy!

Yesterday I wanted chocolate --- so I created the healthiest chocolate that I can ever eat!  Chocolate that tastes amazing and fuels my body with whole, real food, probiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals and superfoods from across the globe.  Ingredients and manufacturing practices that I've researched and know without a shadow of a doubt are the best.  Ingredients that fuel my body, make me feel better, help my digestion, help me stay healthy, give me energy, help my skin stay clear, curb my cravings and help me fight inflammation.

Here you go!  Chocolate Caramel Shakeology Cups!

Ingredients:

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology

1 scoop vanilla Shakeology

2 - 3 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/2 tsp caramel extract

chopped nuts (optional)  I forgot the nuts in mine yesterday :-) 

Directions:

1. Mix 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology with 1 tbsp coconut oil (or more coconut oil if too thick).  

2. Pour small amount into 2 paper cupcake liners (enough to cover bottom).  

3. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes until firm.

4. Meanwhile mix 1 scoop vanilla Shakeology with 1 tbsp coconut oil and 1/2 tsp caramel extract. (this mixture will be thicker, this is good, just spread it over the hardened chocolate)

5. Then spoon the vanilla mixture on top of hardened chocolate.  

6. Pour remaining Shakeology mixture over vanilla mixture to cover completely.  

7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.  

8. Then ENJOY!!   

CORE DE FORCE and Why I'm SO Excited for Monday!

The excitement is sometimes too much to handle!  But I LOVE this feeling!  The feeling of beginning a new workout program, the feeling of knowing that I’m going to have FUN, the feeling of knowing that keeping my muscles guessing every couple months keeps my body feeling it’s healthiest…all of these things keep me excited!  And with CORE DE FORCE, I KNOW I’m going to strengthen my mental muscles while I’m strengthening my body’s muscles.  I’m going to punch, kick, fight and train my entire body and my core for a total body transformation.  AND feel empowered and stronger throughout the entire 30 days!  This is going to be amazing!

This Monday is day 1 for me and I’ve done 2 of the workouts so far, so I know I’m going to LOVE this one!  And I'll have a full week of workouts under my belt before the challenge group officially begins!  So I'll be able to help you all that much more!

So you’re probably wondering what CORE DE FORCE is all about. It’s a mixed martial arts (MMA) inspired workout that combines punches, kicks, jabs and combination moves in a way that we’ve NEVER seen before.  Workouts will work our entire body with cardio to spike our heartrates and bodyweight resistance training with no equipment involved.  We’ll be following a perfectly designed workout calendar and workouts will be 27-45 minutes long throughout the 30 days.   There are 8 workouts total in the rotation.  We will have 4 MMA-inspired workouts, 2 bodyweight resistance workouts, 1 CORE DE FORCE relief workout and 1 active recovery stretch workout and 2 bonus workouts.  Don’t worry, the included calendar tells us exactly which workout to do each day!!  The MMA inspired workouts all have a step-by-step breakdown of the moves to help you learn exactly what to do before you begin the workout – they are super helpful!   AND each workout has an easy to follow modifier so that anyone can workout at a lower intensity while still getting an effective workout.

As a gift, Beachbody also gives us a bonus MMA mashup workout because you’ve committed to your health and purchased the program through me, your Coach!

Are you wondering what we’ll be eating during CORE DE FORCE?
Nutrition is always the key to results with a fitness program.  But don’t worry, this nutrition is simple, real food!  We’ll be eating plenty of healthy, clean food to fuel our bodies and get maximum results.  I also drink Shakeology each and every day for real nutrition from superfoods found across the globe.  Shakeology is my solution for supplying my body with vitamins, minerals, whole foods, antioxidant, digestive enzymes, probiotics, superfoods that I could never buy at the store as well as protein.

We will also have the CORE DE FORCE Eating Plan with food lists, recipes, sample menus and so much more.  This will help us win the battle of figuring out what to eat.  It’s all there for us so we know where to start!  And throughout this challenge, I’ll be guiding you as your Coach sharing recipe ideas, meal plan ideas, clean eating tips, etc.

Has any of this information gotten you excited??
Are you ready to fight to be in the best shape of your life?
Are you ready to have FUN during your workouts?
Are you ready for a high energy workout that's easy to follow?

This MMA inspired TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION program will give you an amazing workout. We're going to work out each day with fun & effective workouts that focus on core strength while we train like fighters!

We will begin this exclusive test group on November 14th.
During this group I will share with you clean eating tips, meal planning tips, I will share actual meal plans, help you make it through the big feast without too much damage and still enjoy the holiday!

If you're ready to commit to your health and have fun fighting to be in the best shape of your life, let's get started!
There are a couple things for you to do.

1. Set me as your Coach by clicking this link below
https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=419400

2. Complete this application below for this test group

Tips to Find Your Motivation and Your Workout Mojo!

I don’t think that there is a single person in the world who always wants to exercise and always wants to eat healthy.  Sometimes daily life, daily stress and everything else can make us feel unmotivated or too tired to make time for exercise.

Believe me when I say that I’ve also felt a little of this these days and lately it’s been happening a little more than usual.  So I’ve found a few tricks that work really well to help keep me motivated and on track with my fitness goals!  This is also one of the reasons that I’m so excited about my upcoming challenge group, the Make It Happen Challenge!  This will be the perfect way to stay on track during busy days and upcoming holiday meals!

For me exercise is one of my solutions for more energy, better moods, feeling better, being more relaxed and keeping my heart and muscles healthy.

Let me share my top tips to keep or find your workout mojo!

1. Don’t think about the struggle or how hard it is during the workout.  Just think about how good you’ll feel when you’re finished.

2. Take action – just get up and get moving!

3. Decide that you will do at least 5 minutes, then at the 5 minute mark re-evaluate how you feel.  More than likely you’ll keep going and finish the workout!

4. Start the day in your workout clothes or change into them as soon as you get home.

5. Create a playlist that motivates you and gets you going.

6. Take screen shots of motivational images with your phone or tablet and use these images to keep you going.  Print some of these pictures and hang them up too.

7. Find exercise that you enjoy doing and that keeps you excited.  Variety is sometimes good!

8. Invest in a new gadget that motivates you to move.  It’s fun to track steps and monitor heart rate.

9. Buy some cute workout clothes!  When we feel cute, we feel better.

10. Write down your workouts on the calendar just like an appointment & keep your appointment!

11. Get a partner (or partners!) to keep you motivated and encouraged even on the days you don’t feel like exercise.

I’m sure you guys guessed it already, but tip number 11 is one of my favorites!  And one of the reasons that I became a Coach!  Supporting others and encouraging others while they support and encourage me makes all of our health journeys that much easier!

Take Back Control - The Stinging Truth

I had made plans today to share my meal plan for this week along with a new recipe…but something more important has been pressing on my heart.  

Sometimes the truth stings a little.  And sometimes it takes a little tough love from family to finally make me say that enough is enough.  And it’s time for me to share what truths are currently giving me a sting.

You guys know me, you all know that I’ve been a pharmacist for over 9 years.  I’m responsible for ensuring that I help my patients be as healthy as possible.  I’m also a pharmacy team leader responsible for the day to day work flow and metrics of a retail pharmacy while ensuring that my technicians are being supported.  I also became a health and wellness coach a little over 2 years ago to help support and encourage others on their health journey by sharing my own journey “out loud” on social media.  

These 2 roles, the pharmacist role and the health coach role, give me the opportunity to share health tips, health topics, exercise tips, my favorite workouts and anything else that I think might be helpful to you all.  And I do.  I share all of these tips along with lots of motivational quotes.  

Here’s the stinging truth…the truth that I’m struggling with now…everything that I stand for should be front and center in my own life.

I have not been taking some of my own advice to heart, nor have I been following some of my own advice.  

I try my hardest to stay positive, see the best in each situation and keep moving forward.  Some days this is a real struggle.

I’ll start with the things that I DO follow – I eat healthy and clean at least 80% of the time and I exercise at least 6 days per week.  I’ve got these 2 habits down!  I also read or listen to some type of personal development each day.  I’m also plugged into a challenge group that I host each month for daily support with my health and fitness journey.

Here’s where I get a little off track.  I’m just going to lay it all out there, get it off my chest then tell you guys what my next steps are.

- I don’t sleep enough at all during the week.
- I don’t eat enough at all during the days that I work because my store is crazy busy - literally all of the time.
- I don’t manage my stress well at all.  I’m the type of person that internalizes everything.  I try to sort through, cope with and deal with everything on my own.
- I worry too much about what others think of me as a person, what my boss thinks of my work performance, what you all think of my Coaching adventure, what my customers think of me as a pharmacist, and on and on.  
- I’m overwhelmed with my job and work required.  So much to the point that I’m unhealthy because of the stress that I’ve allowed to build over the last two years.
- I don’t always have energy.  
- I don’t always enjoy my day. 
- I’m not always optimistic.  

I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m sharing all of these far from perfect things.  There are a few things that I know for sure.  A few things that I’ve decided are holding me back and keeping me stuck.   Striving for perfection is a horrible way to live, worrying to the point of exhaustion is a horrible way to live, being fearful of failing is a horrible way to live and being stressed to the max without doing anything about it is a horrible way to live.  

Sharing my story and sharing my struggles will help me heal.  If I tell you all about what I’m going through, this will make me do something about it all.

By sharing this story, I also know that there’s one person who’s feeling this same way right now and going through at least one of these struggles and would love to know that they aren’t alone.  
You’re not alone.  

Now I’ll share with you my game plan.  I’m a thinker and planner.

I’m the first person to say, if you’re not happy, make some changes.  But this is another piece of my own advice that I’m not following.  

So - now – it’s time – changes will be made – across the board in every area of my life.  
This is where I’ll share my tips with you guys.  (These are the tips that I’m reminding myself of each day)
1. Reconnect to your why
2. Recommit to your goals
3. Recommit to your health and happiness
4. Just make it happen 

Today I’ve spent time reflecting on why I became a pharmacist and why I became a health and wellness coach.  I’ve reconnected to my why.  I’ve recommitted to my health, myself and my success.  I’ve recommitted to taking steps each day to be the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been.  I’m taking back control.  I’m also one who jumps in all the way, so I’ll be tackling a few of my issues all at once – my environment, my sleep habits and my stress control.

The next step will be taking care of the overwhelm that I’m feeling in my environment at work and at home.  Our physical environments have such an effect on our calmness, our creativity and our stress levels.  Cleaning out, reorganizing and minimizing are much needed in both areas.  I spend almost as much time at work as I do at home, so I’m going to be sure that both environments are as calm as possible.

I’m also going to begin taking my daily sleep habits more seriously.  I know darn well that sleep is one of the most important parts of being healthy, but I don’t know why I can’t get myself on track.  I’m beginning tonight and will work myself up to at least 7 hours of sleep. 

Now, on to my stress control plan.  This is going to be the most difficult of all for me to actually stick to.  I’m going to schedule into each day at least 30 minutes to sit and read in quiet.  This will be the perfect time for me to actually finish a complete personal development book!  I’m going to begin taking time to do more of what I enjoy – researching health topics to share with you all, spending time with my family, spending time with Burney because he’s one of the most entertaining people I know, crafting a little, shooting more and practicing my skills teaching PiYo.

I’ve shared this with you all because I know that I’m not alone in these feelings of overwhelm, frustration and stalling out.  And now that I’ve said this all out loud to you, I’m accountable to my own promises.  

This journey back to myself won’t be easy.  But getting back to myself is all that will help me solve these feelings.  Taking back control of my life and my physical and emotional health must be a priority.  

We each must make ourselves a priority.