Paleo Pizza Recipe

Paleo Pizza Recipe:

I am a pizza LOVER! It's one of major weaknesses....right up there with french fries! Yum! Luckily this recipe is a way for me to enjoy pizza GUILT FREE!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut flour;
• 1 cup almond meal;
• 1 tsp baking powder;
• 2 tsp garlic powder;
• 4 eggs;
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil;
• ½ cup coconut milk;

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. Always begin your pizza making by preparing the crust. This is necessary for this recipe, as the crust requires some cooking time without the toppings.
3. In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond meal, baking powder and garlic powder.
4. Using a whisk to eliminate any clumping, start mixing in the wet ingredients. I usually continue to whisk as I do this, because it helps prevent the dry ingredients from clumping. You will reach a point when your whisk becomes useless and your hands are necessary, generally when the mixture starts forming a batter.
5. The batter will seem quite soft and much different in texture than the usual pizza dough, but once cooked it will take the right form.
6. On a well greased and rimmed pizza pan, pour in the batter and spread it until it’s covering the complete surface. It’s important to use a rimmed pan so the batter doesn’t spill off.
7. Throw just the crust in the oven and allow it to bake alone for 15-20 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, prepare all of your toppings so that you just have to put them on once the crust has baked.
9. Spread the sauce on the surface of the crust, as much or as little as you like. Sprinkle on the toppings of your choice.
10. With the oven still at 375 F, bake the whole pizza for another 10 or so minutes, just to allow the toppings to cook. 

Make Sure I Don't Quit Working Out THIS Time

Stay Committed To Your Workout Plan:

Stop. Start. Stop Again. Start AGAIN! Grrrr!

When you've failed a workout routine more times than you can count, how the heck are you supposed to make sure you don't quit THIS time around?!

Examine what went wrong the last time
Yes yes I know you're mad that you stopped the last time and the time before but what went wrong?? Look over your last weight loss & health journey with a fine tooth comb. What stood in your way from success and how can you AVOID that this time around?

Common Factor/How To Avoid It:
1)"I ran out of time today"
- Schedule your workout like an important meeting
- Tell your family and friends what time the "meeting" is and you cant miss it
- Turn off your phone

2) "I don't feel well today" " I might be getting sick"
- Take the workout easy but DO IT! Just give it 75% effort.
- Just going through the daily motions will reinforce the habit. Often times you get energy after a couple minutes into it and feel much better after.
- Still keep your eating clean. Unless you're vomiting then you have no excuse it eat crackers and soda.

3) "I'll do it tomorrow"
- What you do today determines your week. Week determines your month and months to year.
- A late night workout is better than no workout. Squeeze it in!

4) " One bite wont hurt"
- That one bite becomes a meal! That meal becomes a day!!
- Take a moment and count down from your current weight to your goal weight. Do you STILL want that bite?

5) "I'll start all over again on Monday"
-STOP whatever you are doing and workout right there for at least 15 minutes. This will jog your memory with positive thoughts.
-If you wait till monday that little hiccup will become many days worth.
-What will stop you from "starting all over" AGAIN!!!??/

ALWAYS keep written down your reason WHY you started this journey in the first place! THAT is your TRUE motivator to keep you going.

Paleo Taco Tortillas Recipe

Paleo Taco Tortillas Recipe:

This is perfect for those that LOVE their mexican food, but have found it ending up on their thighs and hips a bit too much! Guilt free recipe baby!!

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup coconut flour

- 8 large egg whites

- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 cup water

- coconut oil

Directions:

1) Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, making sure no lumps remain. If you want thinner tortillas add 1-2 teaspoons more water. 

2) Preheat a small non stick skillet over medium heat. Place about 1 teaspoon coconut oil into pan.

3) Pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan, tipping the pan from side to side while you pour the batter.

4) Once golden brown, flip the tortilla and brown the other side. This makes about 8-10 medium tortillas.

Organize Your Kitchen For Diet Friendly Grab N Go

Time For Kitchen Facelift!!

You've got your groceries for the week and are ready to start your diet plan, but what do you do with it all so its Grab N Go friendly. Take these tips to make your food available for the person on the go....or just ready for when the cravings start!

PREP:

- Wash ALL the fruits and veggies

- cut them up into bite size or cooking sizes

- take all large sections of meat out from the packages

- cut meat, portion, and marinate with different seasonings

ORGANIZE:

- Take all items out of their packages and portion into 1 serving containers

- place snack veggies into 1 serving potion containers 

- stack snack containers in a way that is easy seen

- place portioned seasoned meat into separate contains and into freezer

- portion out all crackers, nuts and snack foods into containers

By keeping you fridge and pantry stocked and ready to eat in the right portions you will find it's so much easier to grab, heat and eat when needed. When you wash/season, cut and portion your food all at once the time it takes to prepare is reduced greatly!

Is Shakeology Safe For Paleo Primal & Clean Eating Diets?

Shakeology: Paleo Primal & Clean Eating Diet Friendly?

I am truly a Shakeology devotee so when i decided to change my diet to Paleo a big question of mine was:

"IS SHAKEOLOGY PALEO FRIENDLY?"

........drum roll pleeassee......

.....YES IT IS!! Wooo Hooo!

That means that even on the Paleo, Primal or Clean Eating Diet it is perfectly fine to drink Shakeology. I know that some people are concerned about the fact that it has whey protein, but that's why there's a VEGAN version of Shakeology as well. That means no dairy or animal bi-products at all.

I was so stoked to find that I was still able to drink Shakeology even on the Paleo Diet simply because Shakeology was my lifesaver! One of my biggest weaknesses is my chocolate cravings at night. I could be abosolutly PERFECT in my nutrion plan all day and then as soon as 10 pm hits I aching for some chocolate. I would reach for chocolate ice-cream, a chocolate bar or even the bag of  little chocolate chips in the pantry that were left over from the cookies i had made months ago! I just NEEEEDED chocolate. Then came Shakeology. All i had to do was blend up a shake for dinner and VOILA no more chocolate cravings. Plus it was great to wake the next day with a flatter stomach and TONS of energy.

So I say Drink Up and CHEERS to Shakeology!




Want Shakeology? Just click HERE and get me as your personal coach for free! :)

Pumpkin Stew Recipe

Pumpkin Stew Recipe:

With winter coming and the holiday season among us one of my challengers from my Challenge Group decided to put her carved pumpkin to good use! A special thanks to Vicki Cambell for sharing this DELICIOUS recipe us <3 and CONGRATS to her weight loss from the Challenge! Keep it Up Vicki!

Pumpkin Stew Recipe

1 large pumpkin with a flat bottom
1 pound cubed stew meat
3 cups V-8 juice
1 chopped onion
2 teaspoons low sodium beef bouillon
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and dried thyme
2 cups cubed red potatoes
2 cups baby peeled carrots 
1 cup sliced celery
Flour to coat meat
2 tablespoons oil

Coat meat with flour, brown meat in 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven
Add V-8 juice, onion, bouillon, garlic,bail and thyme. Bring to boil.
For of top of the pumpkin and courtesan out the insides. Set the pumpkin in a large roasting pan.
Cup the inside of the pumpkin with the cooked meat mixture (include the juice). 
Add the potatoes, carrots and celery. 
Place roasting pan in the oven to bake at 300 degrees for 1-2 hours or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Use a spoon and scrape off some pumpkin meat as you scoop out the stew-meat filing to eat. The pumpkin meat adds a nice flavor to the stew.
Enjoy. Yummy.

What Is This Paleo Diet Thing?

What Is The Paleo Diet

For those of you that follow my COOKING VIDEOS on youtube you know that I generally cook Paleo.

....WHAT IS PALEO?

Well here's the general eating guidelines of Paleo:

EAT:
Meat, Vegetables, Fruit, & Nuts

DON’T EAT: 
Grain, Legumes, minimal dairy, preservatives, additives and junk in packages.

The cool part is there’s NO counting calories, no timing out food. Just eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Simple.

.....Ok but how does this work?

Watch this video for a FUN and actually very informed answer:

When Is The Best Time To Start A Workout

When Should I Start A New Workout Routine?

"I'll start on monday." Yes thats the quote I hear ALL the time. But the truth is when monday rolls around something always comes up. Either it's family, an event, no time, not feeling well or just some thing unexpected, your workout gets taken off your priority list in a flash and you find yourself saying..."I'll start on monday."

...So when IS the best time to start a new workout routine? Personally I say RIGHT NOW!

If you think about it what does one workout really take? 30 minutes? Maybe an hour? WHat could you take OFF your priority list TODAY and replace with a workout? Leave those dishes in the sink till tomorrow, don't call back friends just yet, Tivo your show and watch it another time. These are just a few of the things you can replace with a workout. Think of it as setting your HAPPINESS as a priority. If you watch your show but dont workout, how will you feel after? Now switch it and if you workout but dont watch your show, how will you feel after?...You get the picture.

Now working out isn't the only thing to get you a healthy happy body and have you on your way to the weight loss or muscle gain you want. You also need to clean up your nutrition. When is the next time you go grocery shopping? Take ten minutes TODAY and write out your meals for the week following your next time you go shopping. That way when you go you can get everything you need to start eating right afterwards. Now I'm NOT saying to go on a binge right now and eat tons of junk food simply because you squeezed in a workout! Just eat what you have in your house and mentaly prepare yourself for the change to come.

The biggest problem is that people tend to make the start of their weight loss journey a BIG event! Thats really just setting yourself up for an event that cant happen right now but you say will happen "tomorrow". Problem is that tomorrow is never "today."

 Weight Loss & Health Is A Life Change, Not An Overnight Change!

Think of this an slowly changing your habits and remind yourself that you are going to do this the REST OF YOUR LIFE. It's not about JUST hitting a goal. It's about KEEPING it.

So STOP what you're doing and set up a VERY IMPORTANT MEETING TODAY ( thats called your workout hour) and DONT MISS IT! No better time than right now!

Paleo Fried Chicken Recipe

Paleo Fried Chicken Recipe:

Hey Ya'll! Get some friiiiiiiied chicken paleo style with this recipe. It goes great with faux mashed potatoes made out of cauliflower instead of potatoes. See ya'll later!

Ingredients:

- 1 Cup coconut oil

- 2 large eggs

- 1 cup almond flour

- 1 teaspoon paprika

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

- 1/2 dried thyme

- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder

- 2 pounds chicken, breasts

Directions:

1) Heat oil in large frying pan to 350 degrees F

2) Whisk eggs in medium bowl

3) Combine all dry ingredients into large bowl and mix

4) Dip chicken into whisked eggs

5) Coat chicken with dry mixture and place in hot oil. Allow both sides to brown ( about 2 minutes each side)

6) Place chicken on drying rack or paper towel with space in between pieces. 

7) Place in 400 deg F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove and get ready for some gooood eaten!

Fell Off The Fitness Band Wagon? Here's How You Get Back ON!

I remember when i learned how to ride a bike. I was on the sidewalk of my old street. My dad was standing next to me walking along side the bike while holding the seat. I remember telling him not to let go. I remember the rush of gliding down the street all by myself. I did it! Funny thing is I don't remember falling TONS of times previous.

....This is common in many events of our life.

We tend to remember the success but forget about the struggle that got us there. We add 1+1 to equal 2 without remembering all the time we spent counting it out on our fingers out loud. Or just even the simple act of walking. Watch a child learn to walk and you'll see it wasn't easy!

What does THIS have to do with me losing weight and getting healthy again? EVERYTHING!

With each of these events you had to FAIL to reach SUCCESS! You had to fall to learn to walk. You had to count out loud to learn. And you had to crash a ton before you could ride a bike. But what would have happened if you NEVER FAILED? Then you for sure wouldn't be here reading this blog...heck you probably wouldn't know how to read!

So knowing that you need to FAIL to SUCCEED gives you the ability to forgive yourself for all the times you started a workout program and failed. SO what?! Yea you fell down, but the only way to truly fail is to stop trying!

Ok FINE! Lets say you just quit. You dont do it. Now what? no really...what now? Are you going to stay 50 pounds overweight? Are you going to continue to cry every time you're in the dressing room? Will you let this effect your relationships? Your children? Are they doomed to follow in your footsteps?

...doesnt sound very nice :(

So STOP IT & GET STARTED RIGHT NOW!!!

I can go off and write for a while about what steps to take and go into details about being prepared (coming soon in later blogs) but the REAL reality is you dont need that! Make the COMMITMENT to start right now and DO IT! Close your computer, workout for 30 minutes and make the rest of your meals healthy today. Thats right! Get on that bike and say out loud:

"I DONT CARE HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE FALLEN. I REFUSE TO LAY DOWN ANY LONGER!"

P90X Required Equipment

Unfortunately the P90X Workout is not as simple as buying the DVDs and calling it good.

This article will help you discover the things you absolutely need and will discuss a few additional things you can live without but should consider non-the-less when doing the P90X workout.

A Set of Dumbbells and / or Resistance Bands

Now personally I prefer the Dumbbells to the bands but if all you have are bands then you can still do the P90X workout program. The difference being that you won’t get the explosive results you are looking for with just bands. To build muscle and get super toned you will need to lift heavy weights. There is no way around it. I suggest starting with at least 10lb dumbbells and having at your disposal a couple additional sets ranging from 15 pounds to 25 pounds. You should have at least 2 sets of dumbbells available because the moves vary so much you can’t possibly use one set for everything. Bands will work but I suggest weights to get maximum results.

A Chin Up bar

You absolutely, without a doubt, need a way to do chin ups. A big portion of the P90X workout involves chin ups. Whether you have a solid bar in your gym or the iron gym (like me) in your door way, either will work just fine. 80-90% of the time you should at least have a door frame that can handle the iron gym chin up bar. The Team Beachbody Store also offers a P90X version of the Chin Up bar with many hand grips and works exactly the same as the Iron Gym. If you are ordering P90X you can combine shipping when you order the P90X Chin Up Bar at the same time. Just something to consider. *You can use bands here if that is your last resort, but again, I suggest an actual chin up bar to bands to maximize results. I got my Iron Gym for $30 bucks on Ebay, it is also available at Wal Mart and Target for cheaper these days.

A Yoga Mat

No matter what, get a mat! You can find these for $10 at Wal Mart in the fitness equipment section. You will need one! If you have a soft carpeted workout area at home then you may be able to squeeze by. But if you are on a hard wood or tile surface, get a Yoga Mat! Your knees will thank you. Yoga X is brutal so be prepared to begin with! Never cut corners when it comes to your body and especially your joints!

Workout Sheets

You can download these sheets directly from Beachbody and they will play a crucial role in keeping track of your progression throughout the P90X workout. If you don’t write down how many reps and how much weight you used you will have no idea what to do next time. I leave notes on these sheets telling myself to increase or decrease weight the next time I do a particular p90x workout, without it I would be lost and progress hindered. Use them! *I also have links available for download at the Buy P90X page here on Betterbody90.com.

A Chair

Finally, you will need a chair. Not for much but for a few moves. Chair Dips, Seated Shoulder Flies, Plyometrics swing kicks, Declined push ups, and maybe for added support when doing push-ups!

Shoes

Make sure you have a nice set of cushioned shoes mainly for plyometrics jump training. Again, if you have a carpet you may be able to get by, but if you have a hard surface to work with, get shoes!

Recommended but not needed

A Fan

You will without a doubt build up quite a sweat doing the P90X workout program. Having a fan blowing directly on you to keep you cool will be a very nice addition. Use what you have or get something cheap from your local store. Your body performs best when it is kept cool so I highly suggest a fan to help you out!

A Camera / Measuring Tape

You don’t HAVE to take pictures and measurements But I highly suggest you do! It’s crucial to be able to look back at your day one photo compared to day 10, 20, 33, 62, etc. the same goes for measurements. These numbers and pictures will play a huge roll in keeping you motivated while you go through the program. Being able to actually look at pictures side by side will really help boost motivation when you can actually see love handles fading away and muscles popping out. Believe me! Let’s wrap this up. If your wondering, “bands over weights?” I will say this. You CAN use bands BUT I highly suggest you invest in weights for maximum results. Bands to me are an absolute fail safe if you just cannot get weights but should not be primary.

The recommended equipment is your choice but is highly recommended!

The only step now is to finally stop with the excuses, Buy P90X here today, and prepare to do something good for yourself. It won’t happen until you DO something about it!

P90X Workout Schedule

The P90X Workout Schedule is comprised of three separate routines.

You choose where you want to start based on your physical conditioning and then just push play. The three options of the P90X workout schedule are broken down into Classic, Lean, and Doubles. I will give you a detailed yet easy to understand breakdown of each P90X Workout Schedule for those that don’t understand or needed clarification. P90X Workout Schedule Options:

“Classic”

This is where most people seem to start, including myself – The Classic Workout Schedule is straight forward and offers the best combination or those ready to build muscle and burn fat as they go. The classic workout schedule requires no more than 1 hour and a half in any one day – The longest workout of the entire schedule is Yoga X. I chose to do classic in my first round of P90X and seemed to get very good results by sticking almost 100% to the workouts. My diet was nothing organized and didn’t follow the P90X Meal Plan. However, I did eat healthy and clean, i.e. no soda, candy, ice cream, red meats, sugars, etc. I still consume sugar but on a highly reduced level, pretty much only in my coffee – that is my one diet evil. The Classic P90X Workout Schedule will work you out 6 days a week just as Lean and Doubles will do except you tend to focus on a mix of Cardio and Resistance training, nearly 50 / 50. It looks something like this: 1. Monday: Resistance + Abs 2. Tuesday: Cardio 3. Wednesday: Resistance + Abs 4. Thursday: Stretch / Balance (Yoga) 5. Friday: Resistance + Abs 6. Saturday: Cardio 7. Sunday: Off The Classic P90X Workout Schedule is ideal for those ready to get started from ground 0 and not looking to lose a ton of fat up front before building muscle. The above example stays true through each phase with a few resistance videos switching up to add Muscle Confusion. Let’s look at Lean now.

“Lean”

The Lean Workout Schedule will have you focusing on Cardio a lot more than resistance. This is a great place to start for those that want to focus on weight loss first and then maybe work into muscle building later on. With Lean you will be doing a lot more cardio options which in turn will burn more calories and help you drop fat faster. I have not tried the lean P90X Workout Schedule option myself but I think it would be ideal if you wanted to condition and didn’t think you were quite ready to jump into Classic. You will need to set aside up to 1 hour and 30 minutes for your Lean Workout Schedule; the longest workout is Yoga X. A Lean P90X Workout Schedule would look something like this: 1. Monday: Core / Cardio 2. Tuesday: Cardio 3. Wednesday: Resistance + Abs 4. Thursday: Stretch / Balance (Yoga) 5. Friday: Resistance + Abs 6. Saturday: Cardio 7. Sunday: Off Notice how Monday differs from the Classic P90X Workout Schedule – You add an additional cardio / core exercise to maximize fat burning and core strengthening. Now what’s interesting is at phase 3 of the Lean workout schedule you actually do workouts similar to Phase 1 of the Classic workout schedule. With that said you can see how Lean is designed as a lead up into Classic and then Classic builds into what we will look at next.

“Doubles”

Alright, this is the ultimate P90X Workout Schedule and for those already in shape or already doing Classic but ready for more. You will see why in a moment. Now with Doubles you will need a lot more dedication and time, you will need to set aside up to 2 hours and 20 minutes on some days. In most cases you will wake up and do cardio, then a couple hours later or in the evening you will do resistance + Abs. Let’s take a look at what the Doubles P90X Workout Schedule looks like. ( Now keep in mind in Phase 1 Doubles appear to be the exact same as Classic – In phase 2 this changes by adding 3 cardio workouts each week and in phase 3 there is a significant change by adding 4 cardio workouts) The following example is based off the Doubles P90X Workout Schedule – Phase 3. I want you to see how serious this really gets! 1. Monday: AM – Cardio / PM – Resistance + Abs 2. Tuesday: AM – Cardio / PM – Cardio 3. Wednesday: Resistance + Abs 4. Thursday: AM – Cardio / PM – Stretch and Balance (Yoga) 5. Friday: AM – Cardio / PM – Resistance + Abs 6. Saturday: Cardio 7. Sunday: Off Notice how extreme is gets? The biggest difference between Classic and Doubles is the addition of all the Cardio. The best way to compare is this – In Doubles phase 3 you’re basically doing Classic with 4 additional Cardio workouts a week. Pretty intense eh – Believe me, it is! Well that was a quick look at the P90X Workout Schedule and the variations that occur. This is a generalized overview but was hopefully informative. Keep in mind that with P90X and Muscle Confusion your resistance days will switch up to continuously bring intensity and challenge so you never fully adapt. This is the power of the P90X Workout Schedule – Choose Yours.

• If your new and want to lose weight fast – Do Lean.
• If you’re seasoned and want a challenge plus muscle gain – Do Classic
• If you’re a pro and classic is not a challenge, get extreme – Do Doubles

The choose is yours and the P90X Workout Schedule allows so many variations there is no reason why you should not be pushing play today – Take responsibility for yourself and your health, take action today! Find a detailed list of required equipment needed to complete the P90X workout schedule and, when you make that decision to finally just do it, discover where to buy the P90X workout so you received a complete official copy.

Beachbody Meal Planner

Got A Blog. Now what to write?

So here it IS! My very first blog post on my new site! Yes yes I know I did have a website I us before this page but I felt that this would be far friendlier to post to and keep my focus to blogging. That's what you follow this for RIIIGHT?! So....the question is what should I blog about first? ....I leave that up to YOU, my readers! What do you want to read about as far as fitness and nutrition? Is there a specific question that you have, subject unknown, or just random thought I should blab about ( you all know I'm great at blabbing!) So yes I eave the decision up to you. So start writing and commenting about what you want. I am at your beck and call. Love!