Chicken Caprese

Chicken Caprese (21 day fix approved)

Hey there!!  It's Sunday and that means it's time to clean out the fridge before buying new groceries for the up coming week.  Something that I hear and totally understand is where to start when it comes to clean eating?  I'm a simple girl and like to share with others ways to keep things simple as well.  For example this simple snack was something I had earlier in the week with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  If you're following along with the 21 day fix this would be 1 blue, 1 green, and 1 teaspoon.  So to keep things simple I created lunch today using the same 3 ingredients but added chicken to make a complete meal vs just a snack. 

 

 

 

 

A simple chicken dish with your favorite classic "caprese" ingredients!
 

Prep: 5 min Cook: 15 min Total: 20 min

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
• 1/2 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
• 1 cup lightly-packed fresh basil, torn

Directions:

To Make The Chicken:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (You will know that it is ready when the oil is shimmering, or it sizzles when you place a drop of water in the oil.) Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the juices run clear. Remove chicken and set aside.

To Make The Balsamic Reduction:

Heat balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced by half. Remove and set aside.

Putting the dish together:

Plate the chicken, then top with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Serve warm.

21 day fix:
1 teaspoon
1 blue
1 green
1 red
If you would like accountability and would like to learn more about the 21 day fix.  Apply below and we can chat:
 

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Is shakeology safe while breastfeeding?

Is shakeology safe while breastfeeding?

I get this question a lot because I myself am a nursing mother. Is Shakeology safe to drink while nursing a baby? My answer will always be to check with your doctor or lactation consultant. Most doctors are perfectly okay with Shakeology while nursing. Some doctors or LC's will say no to any supplements while nursing without even looking at the ingredients. If they do this, insist they look at the label carefully. Shakeology isn't just any supplement. 

My story:
I was introduced to shakeology two years ago while my daughter was 3 months old and at the time I was breastfeeding so of course looking into shakeology before using it was very important.  Things that stood out to me was the fact that it does not contain Soy, artificial sweeteners, & artificial flavoring these things alone can lead to soooo many healthy concerns and that is for another blog entry.  The thing about Shakeology is it's ALL NATURAL...no chemicals, preservatives or colorings! There is HIGH QUALITY isolate protein, vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, super-greens, super-fruits and so much more.  I always struggled with cravings for sweets and shortly after drinking shakeology I started to sleep better and for once in my life I had energy my body felt like it was getting the nutrition I was lacking. I continued to drink it while being pregnant with our 3^rd child this past year as well as currently using shakeology while nursing our 3 month old.  My favorite evening snack because YES you can make shakeology not only as a drink but as shakeology bark with some fresh pineapple.

I think back to being pregnant with our first son and at that time I was a waitress and the pregnancy increased the discomfort with fibromyalgia.  I hate to even think about how much medicine I took to keep the inflammation down.  With adding in shakeology daily to my life for the past two years it has helped bring the inflammation down due to the 70 super foods.  Other benefits more energy for the day, better metal clarity, keeps me full for 3 hours, helps with eating healthier as the day goes on. 
   

It's so important for women to realize that what you put in your body effects your milk supply. Shakeology is giving you 70 super foods and whole nutrition. The better your nutrition, the better your milk supply! 

Things to consider before using shakeology-

-If you are not used to a healthy eating lifestyle start with half a serving a day

 -If you or your baby has a dairy allergy, try the vegan formulas (chocolate or tropical strawberry)

 -Use Shakeology as a snack rather than a meal replacement, since you need the extra calories for your milk supply.  Or is your going to use it for a regular meal be willing to add calories to bulk up the drink like additional nuts, coconut oil, almond butter, etc.

Here are two of the three kids!! Trying to get a picture of all three never happens.  The kids are thriving in life and yes my son ask for shakeology as well. We don't go to the doctors but for shots very blessed for healthy children with great immune systems.

  

List of ingredients in Vegan-

As always take the facts into your doctor I hope this helps with learning more about shakeology and the benefits of adding it to your day.

 

 

Busy mom cooks healthy

Busy mom relies on the crockpot

The moment in the day when I sit at the computer and I wonder if I’m half-crazy or just willing to be a little crazy in order to reach certain goals in life.  Between being a busy mom of three, breastfeeding our newest addition (Henry), working with my husband for our traditional excavation business, selling a home, buying a home, and running an online business based around helping others reach their fitness goals, the days are full!!  I truly feel blessed for each of these areas that has my attention and to be honest this is how my husband and I run life the best at.  Making quick choices, multitasking, delegating, and building dreams. 

I put the breaks on and looked at my own health it’s easy to give to others and YES forget about my own health.  My goal this week is to dial in on nutrition I refuse to give into my life being too crazy to not eat healthy.  I’m seven weeks into working out and loving it, yes it’s hard to drag my butt out of bed at 5:00am but I truly use that time to sweat and figure out a game plan for the day.  However exercise is only 20% of weight loss and let’s face it after having a baby weight loss is on my mind. 

 

 

 

I have breakfast down- I drink shakeology every day to not only have the energy to keep up with the taste as hand each day but its quick and I need quick.  Lunch each day is the same salad and each week I just switch up the salad and I also pair it with a sweet potato.  I realize what area of the day I struggle the most with, is dinners.  So my goal this entire week is to hire a cook, AKA I’m pulling out the crockpot and using every night this week for dinner.

Last weeks salad  spring mix, cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese, low sodium nitrate - free turkey, and avocado added the day I eat it. Baking off sweet potatoes to go with it, their like candy just plain my kind of carb.Bring on the warmer weather this momma is ready for sun and healthy salads.

Things to watch out for and skip the heavy, high fat & high sugar, high sodium dressings plus any candy coated nuts. Those are just a few things that can turn what you think is healthy into a calorie over load.

Here is tonight’s dinner-Sweet Balsamic Pork Roast

What tips have you used that are helpful in creating quick and easy recipes for the entire family that use the crockpot?  I would love to hear 

 

Review on Insanity Max 30

Review on Insanity Max 30

This is my REAL first week back to working out after having our third child by C-section a little over 6 weeks ago.  I did use the program the 21 day fix until about 36 weeks pregnant however I feel a lot of work still needs done.  I picked Insanity Max 30 jump into for a few reasons.  I truly enjoyed and loved the original Insanity however the 60 minute workouts would not be doable even as a health and fitness coach finding the time to commit would be a stretch.  Max 30 is different than any other Shawn T program he released in the past. Yes he is in your face and pushing you however the entire concept was to create a workout that no matter your fitness level is it would be impossible to not Max out.  WAIT!!  Before I scare you yes it’s a challenge 4 workouts into the program however there is a modifier for the entire program and that is who I’m following for week one and will adjust as my endurance increases. 

 

Day 1!!  I wanted to also get back in the habit of 5:00am workouts so here I am making it happen.  There is no equipment needed for this program it's using your own body for resistance.  Each workout is 30 minutes long with a two minute additional cool down time after the workout.  The program is 8 weeks long with the concept of working out 6 days a week and the 7th day is a rest day.  Here is what the first week of workouts are.  Hands down Tabata power is the most challenging workout it's the gift that keeps on giving.  Yes 30 minute workouts from home can leave you thinking of it hours later when you reach for something above your head.

 

 

The time of the workouts goes by very quickly and yes in the program there are water breaks!!  My average time for maxing out week one has been between 6 and 7 minutes.  So what does it mean to Max out?  It simply means you start the workout and each move is either a 30 or 45 second time frame and you move onto the next move.  You go until your body is ready to give up and you give it one more push of 10 more seconds.  Water breaks are around the 10 minute mark but each workout that changes.

 With starting a new program it's always great to measure progress by more then just a number on the scale your goal might not be to lose weight it simply might be to just tone up and exercise.  Here are my BEFORE PICTURES. 

So beyond waking up early in the morning working out what does this program have to offer for nutrition?  Well it comes with an awesome guide on what foods to be eating to fuel your body as well as some awesome recipes.  Our family has already taking the Cobb salad and made it a regular must have RECIPE.  

 

I can't wait to share what the next few weeks brings!!  And the transformation as it unfolds, I would love to help hold you accountable to your fitness goals and pair you up with a program that is right for you.  Let's talk about what your fitness goals are and if an online accountability group would be a great fit for you.

 

 

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