Food Roundup!

It has been months since I posted a Food Roundup, what I chose to replace my WIAW with. How do I get so behind on this stuff?!

Keep in mind, most of these pictures were taken long before I decided to get rid of gluten and legumes.

In any case, this makes for a fun post to look at... AKA, LOTS of pictures! Lets see how many times I repeat a meal, shall we? ;)

Breakfast:

A return of sweet eggs! AKA Paleo Pancakes 


Banana dipped in almond butter and coated with walnuts.


Almond milk! With cinnamon.


Yikes. More pancakes. With peanut butter. 


Almond milk, with a sweet potato and some ground turkey. 


Avocado, some (slightly undercooked... yikes) boiled eggs, and home made hot sauce.

Lunch:

Hard boiled egg with some steamed spinach and tomato. 


I have a hummus problem. Now that I am legume free (or at least free of legumes that aren't properly prepared), I will miss this. 



I had a sample of some Braggs seasoning, and I used it sauting some veggies. Kind tasted too fishy for veggies. 


Turkey stew with avocado! 


Sweet potato with Stuffed Chicken 

Dinner:

Some grilled chicken breast, sauteed veggies, and sweet potato. 


Can I get enough veggies yet? I just LOVE coating up a big batch of who knows what rainbow of veggies in coconut oil. This was with some leftover chicken, and soome nooch. 


Black Eyed Pea version of Savory Lima Beans. 


Me and my odd food combinations. Sweet potato, with hemp hearts and mustard. 


More veggies!


Turkey stuffed bell peppers. I have a recipe on the way for this! 


Some more leftover Turkey Stew.


Lol! I am so wonderful at remembering to take pictures. I had already started eating and remembered to snap a pic. Grilled turkey legs with... you guessed it, veggies. 


Some leftover Lentil Stew! 

Snack:

Some sprouts like those from Thanksgiving, on top of rye bread with hummus. 


This pic is of random leftovers. Hummus, tomato salad with olive oil dressing, carrots! 


Gimme all the fats.


I like this Yogi tea. They come with cute messages! 


Huge almond butter jar from Costco. No need for this now that I can make my own!

Dessert:

Lol! Just the usual. 

What have you been eating lately?

Natalie 

My Week of Workouts #2

Time for another dose of my weekly workouts!

I would like to note that I am SUPER excited to start working out with some of the awesome teachers up at my school again.

These lovely ladies are so enthusiastic...I am blessed and honored that they want me to help them with healthy eating and working out. It gives me so much experience, and I couldn't think of a better way to begin working with others in fitness.

Right now, I plan on meeting with them four days a week. After Tuesday's workout (our first workout together), where I put them through an awesome 25 minute HIIT workout, they agreed that we should start off with two HIIT days, and two yoga days.  I will be sure to include the workouts I give them in addition to my own!

Monday:
HIIT

1 minute incline sprint
1 minute burpee roll overs (1 burpee, then roll on backwards on back, roll forward and jump back up on feet. Repeat)
1 minute down up plank
1 minute high knees
x4

Chest

Benchpress: 10,10,5,5,5,3,3,5,8,8 (Start with low weight, add weight up till 3 reps, then go down again.)
Peck Deck: 15,15,12,12,10,10,12 (Same as above)

Incline DB press-12
Flat bench fly-12
Pushup-12
x2

(Heavier) Incline DB press-8
Down up pushup--8
x3-4

Finish with abs 

Tuesday:
Power Yoga 
Blogilates Victoria Secret Abs workout 

Teacher's Workout:
45 sec on, 15 sec off x25 

Squat jumps
Jumping Jacks
Burpees with mountain climbers
Back lunge kick right
Back lunge kick left 


Posted this on Instagram. I've got my post Bob Harper mean face on! 

Wednesday:
Just like last week, I did Bob Harpers Cardio Conditioning. I ended with some glute work... donkey kicks, fire hydrants, and leg circles on each side. Woo hoo!

I also led the teachers in a yoga workout, about an hour long. I focused on basic movements and stretching... really I just wanted to take things slow and see where they were at. 


Thursday:
Back

YTIx12
Burpee pushup x10
x3

Deadlift 4x12 (increase weight)

Barbell Bent Over Row 4x12

Single Arm Row 4x12
DB Pullover 4x12

Back Extensions with 25lb weight plate (this was tough!!) 3x12

Behind back lat pulldown 4x12
Double arm row 4x12
Rear Delt Fly 4x12  

Teachers Workout:
45 sec on, 15 sec off x25

5 plank jacks, 10 jump rope
High knee with butt kick
Jump Lunges
Tricep dips with mountain climbers
Front+back kick

Friday:
Shoulders
An awesome workout I AM loving. I found it on Krissy's Facebook. 

Pushpress 10,8,6,4 (increase weight each set)

DB frontal raises x10
DB corkscrew press x10
AMRAP face pulls
x3 rounds

BB behind the back shrugs x10
DB should "L" raises
AMRAP Shoulder pushups
x3 

KB high pulls x10
DB lateral raises x10
AMRAP DB bent over reverse flys
x3 

I don't meet with the teachers on Friday.

Saturday:
Leg daaaaaay!! Did the same I did last week, with a few modifications. 

10 burpees
12 sliding lunges, forwards and back (equals 1 rep)x12 ES
X2

10 1 leg weighted burpees ES

Squats (increasing weight each time)
20,15,12,10,8,6,4
Squat Jumps xnumber of squats done

10 Bulgarian Split Lunges ES
10 Weighted Step Ups ES
x3

1 Minute weighted walking lunges 

Leg Curls (1/4 method)x10
Glute Cable Kickbacks x12 ES
Leg Extensions (28 method)
x4 

Sunday:


Chest
Couldn't make it in to the gym today, so did this workout. Took an hour exactly. 
   

Help Make My Dream Come True... Vote For My KIND Project!

I want to first thank all my readers for helping me stay motivated and for supporting me through my journey through health and blogging. You are the reason I write! 

For todays post, I want to ask a HUGE favor. Please just take a peek at this awesome news I have! 

As you know, i am passionate about holistic health and fitness. 

For a few years now my mother and i have had dreams of opening up a organic natural grocery store in our area, a smaller store than big names like Whole Foods that offers local, non GMO meat, eggs, dairy, produce and foods. 

We also want to teach people of all income how it IS possible to buy and eat healthy foods on a reasonable time and money budget. 

I entered a contest through KIND Bars, called KIND Projects. Every month, there is a contest open to public voting where people with dreams like mine can present their project in hopes of people giving them votes. 

At the end of the month, the winner with the most votes gets $10,000 towards their project. I am pleased to say that my project, one towards opening a grocery store, got approved and is up for voting starting today!!! 

From the site, here is a bit more about our project:

What do you want to do?

Open one of the worlds first Natural Grocery Store to sale ONLY NON GMO products & local meats/produce at a reasonable price so all income families can benefit.

How will you spend the $10k

Invest in the beginning foundations & education needed in order to run a business and enlists specialist to help us in the steps of opening our grocery store.

What impact do you hope to make?

Educate people how it is possible to eat healthy on time and money budgets & offer varieties of NON GMO, local and wholesome foods at a reasonable cost.

The only thing I ask of you is to help me make my dreams 

come true. 

Please vote for my project here, and help spread the

word!

Natalie

Grain Free Sweet Potato Zucchini Lasagna: Paleo, Low Carb

Howdy guys! Today I wanted to share with you a yummy lunch I made for my mom's birthday Sunday.

I have been wanting to try this for a while now. I have seen noodle-free lasagna recipes all over Pinterest...

Anyways, I guess it has been my final elimination of grains and gluten recently that has motivated me to make a more Paleo centered dish. Woo hoo!

I omitted cheese because I am lactose intolerant. I guess it isn't really a "lasagna", with no dairy... but all the flavors were there! Feel free to use a non dairy cheese (I will do this next time I have some on hand), or a high quality, organic cheese made with milk from happy, non GMO cows. :D

Grain Free Sweet Potato Zucchini Lasagna
1 lb lean ground turkey or beef, preferably organic
2 small/medium zucchinis, sliced very thin
2 small sweet potato, sliced very thin
1 5oz small can tomato paste, unsalted
1 large tomato, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Handful baby spinach
1/3 cup diced bell pepper
TSP garlic powder
TSP red pepper flakes
TSP oregano, dried
TSP sweet basil, dried
1/2 TBSP herb de province
TBSP coconut oil
1/3-1/2 cup water
Non dairy or dairy cheese of choice, if using


1) Melt your coconut oil over meat high heat, and begin cooking your meat with all the seasonings.

2) When the turkey has been cooking about 5 minutes, toss in the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes more.


3) Add in your water and tomato paste. Mix together, and let the pan come to a boil. Immediately lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.


4) In the mean time, prep your layering devices! Slice the zucchini and sweet potato very thin.



5)Begin to layer you lasagna (I used a casserole dish but you can use whatever container you are most comfortable) once to meat is done. You can put both zucchini and sweet potato on each layer, or alternate between the two. Don't forget to add in your spinach and tomato slices in too!



6) Cook uncovered at 450 for 10 minutes. Then, put the cover on, reduce the heat to 300, and cook for another 25.

Let the dish cool off, and you're done!

Others might be picky and find the textures odd, but I actually REALLY liked the savory flavors of the turkey and veggies, paired with the rather sweet, smooth sweet potato.

What have you been eating lately? 
What are your favorite ways to modify an unhealthy recipe?

Natalie 

My Week of Workouts #1

Happy Monday Clean Eaters! I hope you all have had a great weekend and are ready to tackle the new week (AND the New Year!) ahead.

I enjoy reading what other bloggers are up to fitness wise (kind of how Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean posts her "Fitness Fridays"!) So I figured, hey... I workout every day. Why not blog about it more?!

Plus, it is a way to keep me motivated and on track ;)

I promise to be more detailed as time goes on. This post probably won't be the most intricate just because I didn't make note to remember the exact routine I did that day.

Monday:
Legs



Tuesday:
Back and Biceps

FINALLY!! After a few years of wanting one, I got a Polar Heart Rate Monitor today. So far so good. Maybe I could do a review? 

Wednesday (first day of 2014!!)
25 minutes of HIIT (with my new Polar!)
1 hour of Power Yoga


You never disappoint me Bob!

Thursday:
Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning (I reviewed this previously!)
20 minute Blogilates video "Booty Booty Booty"

Friday:
Shoulders
I did a workout I found on Krissy Mae Cagney's Facebook. I LOVE it!


Pardon my arm hair. KRISSY DOESN'T MESS AROUND. 

Saturday:
35 minutes HIIT
This was an AWESOME workout that I found from Krissy too. It went like this:
-1 min incline sprint
-20 box jumps (No box so I did tuck jumps)
-GHD sit ups (No GHD machine so I did V ups)
-100 jump ropes
-20 spilt jumps
-20 mountain climbers
*5 rounds*

35 minutes Bicep and Tricep


Gotta love leg day! 

Sunday:
Legs
I got inspired for this one from a workout from Muscle Pharm on Facebook. I've been getting a lot of idea via the Internet lately! I modified for my time available, plus added a few things.

10 burpees
12 sliding lunges, forwards and back (equals 1 rep)x12 ES
X2

10 1 leg weighted burpees ES

Squats (increasing weight each time)
20,15,12,10,8,6,4
Squat Jumps xnumber of squats done

10 Bulgarian Split Lunges ES
10 Weighted Step Ups ES
x3

1 Minute weighted walking lunges 

Leg Curls (1/4 method)x10
Glute Cable Kickbacks x12 ES
Leg Extensions (28 method)
x4 

On a side note...

One of my New Years GOALS is to gain muscle. I am SO EXCITED to say that after some emailing, I am going to start working with Krissy as my coach. I told her my goals and I know she is trustworthy to make them happen :)

So, on that note... expect some more structured, detailed WORKOUT POSTS every week!!

What have you been doing to workout?
Have you ever worked with a coach while training?

Natalie 

Roasted Cinnamon Almond Walnut Butter!

Holy COW guys. Holy cow. 


Image via Google Images.

I recently tried almond butter not too long ago and FELL in love. I can get a giant tub of it at Costco, but even then it is still really expensive (some of the jars are nearly $10?! Like what?!)

So, usually I stick with peanut butter (usually cheaper!).

However, one of my New Years GOALS  is to heal my gut. I have always had a really sensitive tummy, and recently things have only gotten worse. I don't want to spoil your dinner with too many details, but let's just say I have very bloated and I feel gross and tired!

I have thought about changing what I eat for a while now, but honestly, have been scared. Because I tend to not eat much meat, I rely on getting protein from beans most of the time, or grains. But... what if those things exactly are the causes of my troubles?

I am not for sure, but I am pretty positive that the reason I feel so AWFUL is due to my consumption of legumes (I think most grains, apart from those with gluten, are okay). Recently I discussed my thoughts with Abby from Yes To Yummy, who also follows a Paleo and Gluten Free lifestyle. She supported my decision to try cutting out legumes, and to also eliminate gluten from my diet.

Sadly, I have came to realize... PEANUTS are a legume. Not to mention, after research, they have all sorts of nasty toxins that could be another reason my tummy is so messed up. So looks like no more peanut butter for this girl!

So... what is a peanut butter LOVING girl to do without her drug precious jar of golden goodness?

Well, I will tell you what I just did. And what you, too, should do, unless you want to deprive your taste buds of pure, nut buttery HEAVEN.

I made homemade nut butter! In less then 25 minutes flat!!

It also costs less than most store bought brands. 

Again, Abby inspired me. I also peaked at a nut butter recipe from Heather at Heather Eats Almond Butter. Thank you guys!!

Roasted Cinnamon Almond Walnut Butter

6-8 oz mix of almonds and walnuts (I used more walnuts than almonds)
TBSP cinnamon (or to taste)
Pinch of sea salt

1) Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out your almonds and walnuts. Toss a bit of cinnamon on them, then bake them at 400 for 15 minutes. I tossed them around twice to make sure they didn't burn.

I can hardly wait for the result.

2) If you can hold back from eating the tray (because this stuff smells GOOD), take the nuts from the oven and transfer them all into a food processor.

3) Put on the lid and blend!! I have heard of this process taking up to 15 minutes, but for me, it seriously all blended smooth in 3-5 minutes.

It is going to look flaky at first. You will have to take the lid off a few times and push the grainy stuff back down to blend again.

Add in your cinnamon and salt when you feel it is almost blended!

And there you have it folks! Seriously, as easy as that. You can transfer it over to another container or just eat it all at once after you blend it. 

Just kidding. Not really. 

I don't think I have lived until I made this. Is this why all you Paleo nut butter lovers seem so happy? Hmm. Things are beginning to make sense...

I will keep you updated on how my new approach to food choices goes. Until then, stay tuned and eat almond butter! <3

Do you have experience with healing you gut? 
Have you had success cutting out legumes/gluten from your diet?
What is your favorite kind of nut butter?

Natalie