Dr. Mercola Complete Probiotic Review
As most of you know, I have suffered from food allergies, leaky gut and some other really fun health issues for a little while now. Ever since I started my health journey several years back and became a holistic health coach a couple years ago, I’ve been on a search for great information on natural gut health and ways to detoxify my body to keep me as healthy as possible. I have a few go-to websites that I frequent often and one of those sites is Mercola.com. Dr. Mercola is an Osteopathic Physician which means he practices a “whole body” approach with his patients rather than treating just the symptoms. He empowers people to be an advocate for their own health by providing tons of valuable information on pretty much any natural health topic you are looking for. Any time I want to learn more about leaky gut, a specific herb, or any other health related topic I search on Dr. Mercola’s blog because he seriously has it all! So when I was contacted by them to try out some of his health supplements and host a probiotic giveaway this summer, I was really excited! Especially when they told me what they were going to send me.
I received the following awesome products:
- 1 bottle of Mercola Complete Probiotics
- 1 bottle ofMercola Full Spectrum Enzymes
- 1 bottle of Mercola Silver Hydrosol - vertical
I wanted to host this giveaway because I really believe in power of probiotics and the amazing benefits they can have on our health and digestion. I love to get probiotics from food, such as delicious sauerkraut, and supplement sources because I feel that I personally get great benefits from both!
About 80% of our immune system is in our gut and over the years, I have found out firsthand how important it is to keep gut health in check in order to digest food and absorb nutrients from food, keeps inflammation in the body down, keeps us from getting sick as frequently, helps boost brain health and improves mood, and helps to overcome leaky gut. There are so many more reasons out there why someone would want to take a probiotic, it’s really amazing what they can do for us!
Dr. Mercola Complete Probiotichas a whopping 70 billion CFU (colony-forming units) per serving and has been tested for survivability in the stomach and intestinal track. This is important because we need to make sure that the good bugs can actually survive the trip in order for them to do their jobs efficiently! I took the probiotic capsules each night before bed so the good bugs could get to work while I was asleep. I could really tell a positive difference in my digestive system as it helped keep things moving right along as they should...if you know what I mean. ;) I also loved that it is a multi-strain probiotic and that there are no added fillers like milk, soy, corn, or gluten. Those extra ingredients are just unnecessary!
The Full Spectrum Enzymes were a nice addition to my meal time routine as I always use a digestive enzyme with meals to help break down the food I eat and to make sure my body is absorbing all the nutrients and to keep my digestion working well.
So today I am giving away 1 bottle of the Dr. Mercola Complete Probiotic (click the link to learn more about the product) so you can have the chance to give them a try too! All you have to do is leave me a blog comment on why you want to win the Dr. Mercola's Complete Probiotic and confirm you did that in the Rafflecopter giveaway box. The winner will be selected at random. You must be either a US or Canadian resident to win. The giveaway ends on Sunday, September 20th and with winner will be announced on Monday, 9/21. Good luck!
Disclaimer: I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post and I only received products to use for myself and for giveaway purposes, the opinions expressed in the post is based on my own experience with the products.
5 Yummy Recipes To Try During The 21 Day Sugar Detox
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
When I did the 21 Day Sugar Detox a couple years ago to curb my sugar cravings, I had really amazing results like better sleep, more energy, clearer skin and weight loss. It wasn't all roses and daisies the entire time because I missed a lot of foods that I loved, but I was on a mission to get through the 21 days. So to keep my menu exciting, I was always looking for new amazing recipes. This week, I want to introduce you all to some yummy new recipes from some fellow Fitfluential Ambassadors that you will definitely want to add to your menu whether you are doing the 21DSD or just looking to shake things up in the kitchen! These recipes are all soy, dairy, gluten, grain and sugar-free. If you aren't familiar with the 21DSD, you can read my recap of it here or check out the book here or the online program here. Let me know which recipes you will try!
Carrot Ginger Meatballs via Plaid and Paleo
Raw Carrot Onion Crackers via Healthy Helper Blog
Easy Chicken Kebabs via Food Pleasure & Health
No Fail Cauliflower Crust Pizza via Healthy Helper Blog
Curry Spice Drumsticks via Awakened Nutrition & Training
Leave me a comment below and let me know what some of your favorite sugar detox approved recipes are!
Disclaimer: We earn a small commission if you use the highlighted links to purchase the products mentioned in this post. We recommend only products that we would use in our own home or that we would recommend for our clients. Your purchases help to support our blogging activities such as creating yummy recipes to share with you and also helps us to bring even more helpful nutrition and training information to you on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us continue what we LOVE to do!
Chocolate Coco Banana Protein Smoothie Recipe
This smoothie recipe is an old favorite of mine. It has a great balance of carbs, fat and protein which makes it a complete meal when you are on the go or if you are fueling up after an intense workout. It also packs a big nutrient punch with gut flora balancing coconut kefir, antioxidant rich cacao powder, and mineral rich pumpkin protein powder PLUS it's soy and dairy-free.
Chocolate Coco Banana Protein Smoothie - Serves 1
- 2 Tbsps pumpkin protein powder or 1 scoop of your favorite brand (I shoot for at least 20g protein per serving)
- 2 Tbsps cacao powder
- 1 cup coconut kefir, I used store bought but you can make it at home too!
- 1 small banana
- 2 Tbsp organic almond butter
- Stevia to taste (I like mine sweet!)
Mix all together in a blender (I list all my fave blenders here), add cold water or unsweetened coconut milk if needed. Enjoy!
What are your favorite go-to smoothie ingredients?
Disclaimer: We earn a small commission if you use the highlighted links to purchase the products mentioned in this post. We recommend only products that we would use in our own home or that we would recommend for our clients. Your purchases help to support our blogging activities such as creating yummy recipes to share with you and also helps us to bring even more helpful nutrition and training information to you on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us continue what we LOVE to do!
How To Choose The Perfect Budget Blender
Back when I first started on my health journey, I owned a standard blender which was awesome for making smoothies and puddings but the clean up without the use of a dish washer made it tough for me to use it every day. I then purchased a small travel size blender to make my smoothie clean up a little less laborious. I loved those two blenders because they both fit my needs at the time and each cost very little money. But as my needs changed, I started to want to expand my blending into making nut/seed butters such as yummy sunflower seed butter and also various types of nut milks. So I started my search for the perfect blender that wasn't going to break the bank.
What To Look For:
Determining which budget blender is best for your needs it totally up to what you want to get out of your blender! So first we need to find out what those needs actually are.
Make a list of what you want in:
- travel capabilities
- weight and size for ease of storage
- glass or plastic pitcher - most budget blenders will be plastics so look for a BPA-free pitcher
- power - do you want to make smoothies or something more complex like nut butters?
- price point - how much are you willing to spend to find the perfect budget blender?
- features and accessories
- warranty
Next do some research, ask your friends which blenders they like and why, and ALWAYS read reviews on amazon.com. This will help you determine if they blender you are buying is a quality machine that will last.
When I was on the hunt for my budget blenders I was specifically looking for blenders to fit all my needs which for me were: power, size, quality and cost efficiency.
This is what I found..
The High Powered Blender:
For me personally, a Vitamix just wasn't an option at a price tag upwards of $499. So I did my homework and got connected with the Oster company who makes their Versa Blender line. When I discovered the Versa line, I was going to purchase the 1100 version but was very fortunate to be gifted two of their models (all opinions I share here are my own)! I received the $200 Versa 1400 watt which is a high power blender that can make hot soups and nut butters and is very comparable to the power and wattage of a Vitamix. I also received the $135-$170 Versa 1100 watt which actually had more features like a food processor attachment, the ability to make single serve smoothies as well as both a large and small blending pitcher, and it too made nut butters and cold soups. Ultimately, I decided to keep the Versa 1100 watt blender because it had so many more features and I didn't really notice a huge difference in the power between the 1400 and 1100 watt machines. I also really love that the Versa line of blenders are super light weight and can easily be moved around the kitchen or stored in a cabinet without being a pain to take in and out. Both models are also self cleaning which was another huge plus for me as I don't have a dishwasher. The Versa line also has a 7 year warranty so you don't have to worry about parts breaking on you.
The Travel Blender:
I've had 2 models of this single serve Hamilton Beach travel blender now for almost 5 years. I absolutely love it's small size and great blending capabilities. First blender lasted me about 3 years of normal use and I loved it so much that I purchased a second one as a replacement. It only costs around $15 and really comes in handy when I am staying in hotels or rentals or even at home when I just want to make a super fast smoothie without a lot of pieces or clean-up. It's extremely light weight and doesn't take up a lot of storage space in the cabinet.
The Standard Counter Top Blender:
This is your standard 700 watt blender from Hamilton Beach that costs around $35. It will do basic things like crush ice, multi-serving smoothies, margaritas and milkshakes. This is not the exact blender I have as mine is an older model and much more basic than this one. If you need an inexpensive blender for normal minimal every day functions, this style should work well for you. You can probably find an even cheaper standard model from either Target, Wal-mart or K-mart, just look up reviews online before you make your purchase to make sure it blends well.
One of my favorite features that I found of my standard blender is that I can attach a blending blade to a quart size mason jar and blend individual to-go smoothies without having to use a toxic plastic container. It also makes it very easy to pre-prep your smoothies at night and just blend them quickly in the morning. I have used this trick on several different brands of blenders and it even works with my Oster Versa blender which has made me really happy!
What is your favorite brand of budget blender? Does the mason jar blender trick work with your blender? Let me know below!
Check out some of my favorite smoothies in my FREE 3-Day Gluten-Free Detox!
Meal Prepping: My #1 Weight Loss Tool + a Roasted Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
If you knew me about 6 years ago, you would have laughed at the thought of me being a healthy eater much less a health coach. I had just moved to NYC and my time as a vegetarian was coming to an end. I can see how when one would hear me say “I was a vegetarian”, that would lead you to believe I was health conscious. But let me tell you, I was so far from the picture of health! I was the girl eating pizza at 2am after a long night of drinking and partying, and I loved any and ALL desserts that NYC had to offer. I mean, you can't move to NYC and not enjoy some of the best foods on Earth, right?
I often times, I would forget to bring my lunch to work and order food that I know wasn't great for me usually under the pressure of co-workers. Or I'd have a fridge full of random food and I wouldn't know what to cook. The next thing you know, I'd be so ravaging hungry that I'd end up ordering take-out or another poor food choice - like a tub of ice cream in the freezer or an entire jar of peanut butter.
I was already heavy when I moved up here, but with all the amazing foods I was eating the scale continued to go up and my closet was also expanding from having to buy larger size clothes as my waistline expanded.
I was not happy with how I looked and despite how bad I wanted to lose the weight, I was never able to achieve my weight loss goals mainly because I didn't know where to start. I was so tired of falling back into my old habits of crash dieting and needed a serious change!
Luckily, I started dating Chris and he came to my rescue like a knight in shining armor! He taught me about foods, like clean proteins, complex carbs and health fats, that I should to eat to nourish my body and workouts I should do in order to create lean muscle.
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what food I should eat for the week and even more time putting them all on an excel spreadsheet. Meal planning became even more of a struggle for me once I did an allergy elimination diet and realized I was allergic to soy and intolerant of dairy. I soon realized that it's nearly impossible to find packaged foods at the store that were both soy and dairy-free. I had many "freak out" moments in the aisles of the grocery store when I realized I could no longer enjoy many of the foods I had loved my entire life.
It was a struggle for me at first, but I soon learned that these foods were acting as poisons to my body causing me to stay in a constant state of inflammation, hold onto body fat, and causing me to have a leaky gut. Once I cut out most processed packaged foods and started incorporating more whole foods by planning and cooking my meals each week, those stubborn pounds started to come off which resulted in 17lbs of weight loss in the first year.
Meal planning over the years has helped me to transform my body and take a lot of stress out of eating a soy, dairy and gluten-free diet. AND I almost always start noticing a shift in my weight when I start to stray away from planning and preparing my meals regularly. You can look back at many past blog posts where I have “gotten back on the wagon” using meal planning. It’s really such an easy and effective tool.
It’s been my goal over the last few years has been to show my clients and blog readers that cooking and eating healthy foods, even when dealing with food allergies or sensitivities, does not have to be difficult or boring; it can be an easy process and taste delicious at the same time! That is why I rcreated the 4-Week Soy, Dairy & Gluten-Free Meal Plan and recipes just to share with all of YOU!
The 4-week meal plan is the perfect jump-start to help you get back on track with your health and wellness goals after the holidays without having to follow some fad diet. You don't have to let poor food choices get in the way of achieving your goals any longer! Let healthy wholesome food be the solid foundation for achieving your own transformation!
Maybe you are also soy, dairy and/or gluten-free and are looking for some easy-to-make recipes or maybe you just want to incorporate more whole foods into your diet in order to shed a few pounds or maintain your current weight. Whatever your reasons for wanting to be the healthiest version of YOU possible, these meal plans are loaded with so many great recipes and tips that will help!
But I really want you to be successful whether you buy my meal plans or not, so I've completely revamped the FREE 7-Day Meal Plan, that many of you all have already downloaded! It now includes 15 delicious recipes, an easy-to-read 7-day plan, and an exact list of what you need to buy from the grocery store. I want meal planning to be as simple as possible for you guys because I know that it's one of the key tools that will help you make daily healthy food choices to maintain your ideal body weight and remove inflammatory foods that are making us sick and fat. You can grab the new copy of the FREE 7-Day Meal Plan HERE. I'm so excited to hear how you guys like it!!
I wanted to share one of my favorite entrée recipes with you from the meal plan. I seriously make it just about every week and it’s so easy! It’s also a great dish to serve when you have guests over for dinner. When I made it this last Thursday, I also added 1-2 teaspoons dried Thyme and 1 tablespoon dried Sage that came from Chris’s mother’s garden – such a treat! You can really add any herbs to this recipe and it would taste amazing!
Roasted Garlic Rosemary Chicken Breast and Legs – 4 Servings
From Week 4 of the 4-Week Soy, Dairy & Gluten-Free Meal Plan
- 2 bone in organic chicken breasts and 4 legs with skin on (I get the pack from Trader Joe's)
- 3-4 cloves garlic cut into thick slices
- 1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread about 1 tablespoon coconut oil into bottom of a 9x13 pan.
- Cut garlic into thick slices and chop rosemary. Salt and pepper the bottoms of chicken, then place into pan skin side up. Separate and lift up the skin, place 2-3 slices of garlic under the skin and make sure they are covered under the skin. Brush the tops of the chicken with ½ tablespoon coconut oil, sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Enjoy!
Why Eating Organic Food Won't Break The Bank
Mmmm Tacos! Last week, I posted this picture of my delicious healthy spin on tacos onto my Facebook page. These babies tasted amazing!
"Thanks to @thewholejourney I found these amazing organic sprouted corn tortillas! They are made of only organic sprouted corn, water, lime and salt. Doesn't get much better than that! I topped it with some delicious grassfed beef, red peppers, red onions, garlic, tomato and avocado!"
That day, I received the comment below from one of my amazing followers.
It made me a little sad for two reasons. For one, it sucks people feel like they have to be perfect and buy organic/grassfed food in order to make changes to be a healthier version of themselves. And for two, there is a very big misconception that eating organic/grassfed or healthy food in general has to be expensive and totally break the bank. Because it doesn't. Here was my response...
"It was so delicious and not too pricey! The total comes out to only $3.35 for the meal. That's a lot less than what most people spend when going out to eat and usually cheaper than a subway sandwich. But instead Of getting low quality food that can cause all sorts of health issues, I get a delicious meal that is PACKED with nutritional goodness! Here is the breakdown of this meal:
4oz serving grassfed beef: $1.50
Quarter avocado: $0.38
Chopped Tomato: $0.22
2 Organic corn tortilla: $0.70
Onion: $0.25
Pepper: $0.25
Garlic: $0.05
Total: $3.35
What I mainly focus on is buying high quality meats which I get organic grassfed beef from trader joes for $5.99 per lb and organic chicken from $1.99 - $2.99 per lb. I choose to spend a little extra per pound on meats because non-organic is full of so many toxins and antibiotics that wreak havoc on our immune system and cause us to store body fat. I save money by not splurging on processed packaged foods, I rarely eat out, and I cut back on Starbucks. When I actually thought about all the unnecessary things I was spending my money on each week, I realized that there was lots of little things that I was splurging on which made it a little hard to make the argument that buying organic foods was really breaking the bank. Organic eggs are also very cheap to buy and make as meals too so you don't always have to go for expensive meats like beef.
If you absolutely can't afford to buy organic protein, then go for the leanest cuts of meats possible since toxins are stored mostly in the fats. Then, grab some organic eggs and use the dirty dozen chart to find safe non-organic foods to eat until you are ready to transition to organic. You'd be surprised how cheap sweet potatoes and onions are and how easy to incorporate them into your meals.
And lastly, try not to think of paleo/whole 30 as an all or nothing thing. Try to just do the best you can with what you have! Just because you can't afford organic, doesn't mean you can't cut out inflammatory foods like gluten pastas and replace them with white or brown rice. Just do the best that you can right now and build off of that!"
She was super thankful and said that when you break it down per meal, it really wasn't that bad. She admitted to drinking too much Starbucks coffee each week. The best part was that she was so excited because she went to the store, shopped the outer aisles for fresh ingredients, and bought her family the healthiest foods she could afford. All without breaking the bank!
I think where we as Americans get confused is that in the US, we eat the cheapest food on the planet because of farm subsidies which give us access to very low quality foods that are genetically modified, fed GMO feed, sprayed with tons of pesticides and pumped with antibiotics.
Therefore, since our low quality food is priced so cheaply, it makes buying say a dozen eggs for $1.50 per carton to now buying a dozen organic eggs for $4.99 per carton seem super expensive. But really we are talking about .13 cents for a low quality egg vs .42 cents for a high quality egg which is only a .29 cents difference per egg. So for me personally I'd rather pay .29 cents extra per egg and invest that money into my health rather than in the hospital later. This goes the same for comparing organic grassfed meats to conventional meats.
Another way to look at organic pasture raised meats vs. conventional meats is that besides avoiding all the toxins that are making you sick and fat, you will also get many more nutrients like vitamin E & C, beta-carotene and health-boosting omega-3 fatty acids and CLA "conjugated Linoleic Acid"from a healthy organic grassfed animal. When you eat meat from a conventionally raised animal, you are not only eating the toxins, hormones and antibiotics from the animal but also the toxins and pesticides from the GMO-feed that they consumed throughout their entire lifespan.
As you can tell I am a big fan of eating organic meat but I don't want to neglect the importance of eating organic produce because that is another major source of how chemical toxins are getting into our bodies. Luckily, we are able to metabolize and excrete many of the pesticides that we consume on a daily basis, but chronic exposure of pesticides sprayed on the produce we've eaten over a lifetime means that we always have high levels of pesticides in our bodies. A study came out recently showed that eating an 80% organic diet can reduce the amount of circulating pesticides in the body by nearly 90% in just 3-5 days! Now if that isn't motivating then, I don't know what is!
I admit it, when I first started my transition into buying organic food, I thought the prices were outrageous! And sometimes I still do depending on the store I go to and how overpriced the meat is. But when I took a step back and realized that I was investing in my health now so that I don't have to pay for it later on down the road in medical bills, then it looks a WHOLE lot cheaper. Plus, when I really started to do price break downs of food, like I did above, it really wasn't very expensive compared to some of the silly stuff I was spending my money on each week.
Simple shopping swaps that may help justify spending more on organic food each week:
1 pair of underwear from Target $5.99 vs. 1 pound of organic grassfed beef from Trader Joes $5.99
1 grande mint tea from Starbucks $2.67 vs. 1 bag of organic baby spinach $1.99-$3.99
1 tall Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte $4.45 vs. a dozen organic pasture raised eggs $4.00-$4.99
1 bottle of Essie Nail polish $8.99 vs. 1 pound of wild caught salmon from Trader Joes $9.99
1 Energy Drink $3.50 vs. 1 pint of organic tomatoes $3.50
1 pack of Gum $1.25 vs. 1 bunch of organic bananas $1
Maybe your splurge items are different from these, we all have them. The point is, we all have some non-essential items that we buy on a weekly basis that we can cut back on which will allow us a little extra spending money for quality foods. And like I told my reader above, it's not about being perfect nor is it an "all or nothing" kind of deal. It's about doing our best we can to incorporate more healthy organic foods into our diet so we can start lowering our exposure to these chemical toxins and live longer healthier lives!
Links on how to get thrifty when buying organic:
EWG's Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen Shopping Guide
Eat Wild's Farm Directory for grassfed meat, dairy and eggs
Find Real Food App (apple) from the Weston A Price Foundation
Farmers Market and store finder for organic food
Local Harvest farmers market locator
Costco or Sam's Club Membership to buy organic in bulk and save $$$
Seasonal Food Guide - Buy seasonal produce to save money
Rich Food Poor Food - The Ultimate Grocery Purchasing System - Book
What are some of your favorite tips for saving money when buying organic food?
Disclaimer: We earn a small commission if you use the highlighted links to purchase the products mentioned in this post. We recommend only products that we would use in our own home or that we would recommend for our clients. Your purchases help to support our blogging activities such as creating yummy recipes to share with you and also helps us to bring even more helpful nutrition and training information to you on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us continue what we LOVE to do!
Creamy Vanilla Coconut Smoothie Recipe (Soy and Dairy-Free)
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
If you read my very LONG post yesterday, you now know ALL of my personal business of how I went from thinking I had a binge eating disorder, to losing my sex drive, then finding out that both parasites and candida overgrowth have taken residency in my gut, to finally finding some life balance after I started naturally killing off the bad guys which helped to start balancing out my hormones again and getting my sexy back! Whoa that was a mouth full!
Like I said at the end of my post, this is really just the beginning of my journey and it's far from over. I am working hard to kill the parasites and candida albicans through a sugar, gluten, soy, and dairy-free diet and herbs. Since removing sugars of all kinds (yes, even fruit!), all my cravings and binging tendencies have gone away. I no longer feel like I want to eat an entire back of chocolates or face plant into a jar of almond butter and honey. It's a really good feeling and I'm hoping I can keep it this way! I know I will never be perfect and I'm sure there will be some stressful times in my life that will make me want to eat the world. But at least now I know that I am making progress and have removed the major trigger foods that were causing me to feel out of control.
So this summer, I had the honor of taking over Integrative Nutrition's Instagram feed during their #IINtakeover. I got to share what a day of my life as a health coach looks like with all 26,000 of their followers. It was really such an honor!
For my takeover I shared one of my favorite healthy treats to satisfy my sweet tooth which is my delicious creamy vanilla coconut smoothie! This smoothie is loaded with healthy fats and protein to keep you full and satisfy your sweet craving!
Creamy Vanilla Coconut Smoothie
- I use 1 scoop vanilla vegan protein powder
- 1 cup lite coconut milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 ripe avocado
- 2 Tbsp sunflower or cashew butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- a dash or two of organic powdered stevia
Blend well with a couple ice cubes, add extra cold water if needed, and enjoy!
Of course for my first post during my @nutritionschool #IINtakeover I had to share a before and after! So I posted my classic before shot from May 2009 and then a shot that Chris and I took at a beach bootcamp in Florida on July 4th.
"Hi my fellow health fanatics! I'm Amber Williford a Certified Holistic Health from @exsoycise and @awakenednutrition, I'm so excited to share my life through photos with you during today's #IINtakeover!Since I started my own journey over 5 years ago, I was on a mission to lose weight and get fit. With the help of IIN I realized that there is so much more to living a healthy life than just dieting to lose weight. Through IIN and my own research I've learned about eating nutritious foods that help to heal and fuel the body as well as how relationships, self love, stress, and environmental toxins affect all aspects of our lives.I suffer from leaky gut syndrome which caused me to develop an allergy to soy as well as sensitivities to dairy and eggs. And I'm also working hard to get rid of candida overgrowth and parasites. The allergies plus uncontrollable bloating after eating the even healthiest foods and extreme food cravings that helped me to uncover the root cause of my issues.
It's my goal to help woman just like me to overcome digestive distress and get a handle on their weight loss through daily detoxification and stress management through coaching AwakenedNutrition.com."
I don't want to bore you all with another mega long blog post, so I will save the rest of the photos for next weeks post! I hope you have a great weekend!
What's your favorite sweet tooth taming smoothie or snack?
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Disclaimer: I earn a small commission if you use the highlighted links to purchase the products mentioned in this post. I recommend only products that I would use in our own home or that I would recommend to my clients. Your purchases help to support my blogging activities such as creating yummy recipes to share with you and also helps me to bring even more helpful nutrition and training information to you on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping me continue what I LOVE to do!
How I Found My Sex Drive When I Didn't Even Know I'd Lost It
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
It’s been a hot minute since I last posted on the blog. I hope you all didn’t miss me too much! ;) I’ve been doing a little self healing and running my Sexy Summer Detox which has kept me busy busy!
The last time I posted was when I was riding high on the GAPS diet. If you are unfamiliar with GAPS, it is a very strict whole foods diet designed to heal a leaky gut. I was going through the introductory phases of the diet and started to detox from a lot of the junk and toxins I was normally putting into my body. I felt so amazing, I was losing weight, my abdominal bloating was practically gone, my period was starting to normalize and I started to feel somewhat normal again besides the fact that I was eating an ultra strict and very limiting diet.
During the introductory phase of the diet, you go through stages where you gradually start incorporating approved healthy foods back into your diet and see how you react. Well after gracefully cruising through the first several stages, I got stuck. I gradually started to incorporate different foods such as raw honey, cooked fruits, nuts and nut flours back into my diet. I quickly started spiraling out of control and binge eating on whole bags of soaked nuts and the fruit. When I wasn’t binging on the foods I was adding in, I was going to town on butternut squash and roasted carrots. I would eat two and three bags at a time. I started to feel a little crazy. Was I just too deprived from these sweet foods that when I finally got my hands on them I just went wild?
I read other blogs and everyone else seemed to be going through GAPS with flying colors and here I was mixing gobs of honey, cinnamon and nut flour to create my own nut butters that I would binge on in secret. I tried to deprive myself of these foods even more and stayed stuck in the stages where I could only eat grassfed meats, oils, veggies and fermented vegetables. Even when I was back on my game, I still suffered from unexplained bloating and gas. But as soon as I thought I had a handle on my binging and would attempt to add another food in, it would happen all over again. One handful of nuts would quickly turn into a whole pound bag of nuts.
Then one night I broke down.
I was sitting in a friends kitchen alone, I started thinking how I was eating some of the healthiest food I’ve ever eaten in my life and should be making amazing progress, yet I felt more out of control than I ever had. I literally felt like I was going insane and I was going to be trapped in this vicious cycle of healing and self sabotage for the rest of my life. How could I ever heal myself if I couldn’t get my shit together? I want to be normal again one day, so the motivation is there. I want to be able to go to a restaurant and not have to be the weird allergy girl that everyone has to accommodate. So at that moment of weakness and disappointment, I took my binging to a whole new level and started going to town on some left over Halloween candy completely blowing the months of hard work that I had put in. I ate piece after piece of any chocolate I could find and literally couldn’t stop myself! I started getting full and each piece started to taste less and less delicious to me, but I still kept on eating it. Then, I moved onto kettle corn popcorn. I kept telling myself that I should stop eating because I wasn’t even enjoying the food anymore but I couldn’t make myself stop.
I felt like I wasn’t in control of my own body or mind. I felt like an addict.
After failing on the GAPS diet, I came to the conclusion that I had a binge eating disorder. Not only because of this incident, but also because of my struggles with binging over the last several years. I had a very emotional conversation with Chris about how I was pretty sure that I had an eating disorder and that I had been dealing with it for years. This made me feel like a failure. How was I supposed to be a health coach and help my clients when I couldn’t even help myself. We decided that it was best for me to take a break from the GAPS diet and any other strict eating program besides my food allergies until I could get a handle on what was going on with me.
This tear filled conversation brought up so many emotions that I was harboring deep down inside of me. With all of my binging, I had gained quite a bit of the weight I had originally lost which made me feel so insecure and unsexy. I was beating myself up because I felt like I had to live up to the amazing shape I was in when I got my fitness photos taken in June 2013. If that all wasn’t enough to deal with, I realized that I had nearly lost my once very vibrant sex drive! How could this have happened and how did I not even notice? I think with all of life’s craziness and stress, it just started to slip away and I was too busy and sleep deprived to even notice.
Chris said he could tell that I was a little off over the last several months, but he had no idea that I felt this way. He was shocked because it was totally out of character for me to feel so down on myself. The girl he fell in love with 4+ years ago wasn’t in shape at all, but had a bubbly personality and was super confident in her own skin. He was very understanding and told me he would support me any way I needed him too. He uplifted me with sweet words of encouragement and told me how beautiful I was more often. Chris's support has been beyond helpful and I'm so very blessed to have him by my side!
But I had to do some deep soul searching to find my own happy.
That came in the form of:
- dancing around the apartment to music I love
- spending time with God
- taking more time for myself
- limiting my workouts to once or twice a week and not beating myself up when I didn't go
- attempting to get more sleep
- eating nourishing foods that didn’t make me feel super restricted
- taking time for personal self care practices that made me feel beautiful
During these months of self care, I started to dig deeper into my detox practices by doing coffee enemas to help to support my liver and clean out all the junk that's been backed up inside me for my whole life. Through the enemas and taking some anti-fungal herbal tinctures, I found out that I had parasites. They literally came out of my body and I have the pictures to prove it but I will spare you those. Chris and I named my new visitors “The Frederickson’s”. ;)
This was not at all shocking to me because I suspected I had parasites while I was dealing with yet another month long sweets binge about 5+ years ago after I returned home from a trip to Jamaica, but I never had it confirmed. Once I found this out, I started to see a holistic practitioner that someone referred to me for colonics at The Piper Center For Internal Wellness in NYC. There I found out that I also had candida yeast overgrowth and because of this my body was creating a lot of mucus to help fight the inflammation they were causing internally.
The pieces of the puzzle started coming together for me.
Candida albicans and parasites both feed on sugar of ALL kinds. It can’t decipher between natural raw honey, fruit sugars, brown unprocessed sugar or plain old white sugar. It’s all the same to these guys and I was directly feeding them with most of the foods I was eating. They were taking over my mind and causing me to have such intense cravings that made me feel crazy! All of the times I felt like I wasn’t in control of my own body, I was completely right because I wasn’t. It is no wonder that I did amazing on the 21 Day Sugar Detox a couple years ago! Sugar cravings aren’t the only way that candida overgrowth can affect you, it is also very sneaky and will wreck your sex life as it did for me. It has the ability to mess with your hormones, adrenals, and in some people completely take away your sex drive. I can now only imagine the amount of woman today who are suffering from a low sex drive and wacky hormones due to candida overgrowth and feel like it’s “normal” for them to feel that way as they get older. But that is the complete opposite of what should happen to us ladies!
I immediately jumped on a completely sugar-free cleanse with special herbs that helped me to start getting eliminating some of the candida and The Frederickson’s that took residency in my gut. I felt like crap for about a week with low energy, fatigue and extreme brain fog as they started to die-off and release toxins in my body. After just 3 weeks, I started losing weight again, bloating less, and decreasing inflammation in my body. All cravings I had went away completely and I no longer wanted to the eat junk that the candida and parasites were making me crave.
Detoxing from these pests also helped my hormones to balance out again and I finally got my sex drive back! It was a Christmas (in July) miracle! I am happy to say that I feel beautiful, sexy, sane, and happy again! My physique is nowhere near where I was last June and I've even lost a little bit of muscle. But I feel SO great about myself now and that is what is most important!
This post is now entirely too long. I intend to go into more detail about this subject in future posts both here and on Awakened Nutrition so don't you worry. I am far from healed, in fact, I have a long road of recovery ahead of me but at least I have a clearer picture of where I am headed. But I just wanted to share my story because I know many women feel like the same way that I did and I want you to all know that you are not alone in this!
Have you or anyone you know ever had to deal with candida or parasites? I'd love to hear any tips or sugar-free recipes that you can share in the comments!
What are some of your favorite ways to find your own happy?
My Top 6 Sexy Fat Loss Tips
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
Here are my top 6 Sexy Clean Eating tips!
1. Eat as many whole unprocessed foods as you can throughout the day. Try eating foods in their natural state rather than out of a box or bag. This usually takes planning and preparation ahead of time unless you have a fortune to spend on eating out at healthy restaurants, which I don't know about where you live but there aren't many true health restaurant options around. So take some time each week to cook your meals. But remember even though your are eating healthy clean food, you can still overeat which can lead to weight gain or halt your fat loss goals, so be realistic and keep an eye on portion sizes.
2. Beware of "healthy" food that may cause you to pack on pounds. Meal replacement protein shakes and bars are a good example of this and can be beneficial in ones diet depending on what your goals are. These can be great after an intense workout like a heavy weight lifting day or after a race, but otherwise you probably don't need a fast digesting protein, sugar and sodium-filled "meal" especially if you are just hanging around the house or working in an office. The powders that are used in these products are digested very quick in the body in order to help repair the muscle that you have just broken down during your workout, so if you eat them as meal replacement, you may soon find yourself hungry again and searching for more food. I realize that sometimes life gets in the way and these may be the only option but if you do have the time, try your best to eat whole foods with less sodium and sugar that will stick with you for a few hours.
3. Drink your water! Just to name a few benefits, water aids in the metallization of fat, helps to remove toxins, and it also helps to flush the water out from under our skin which makes us look bloated or puffy. So just except the fact that you will be running to the bathroom more than usual and think about the amazing benefits you will receive in the long run!
4. Take inventory of what you are eating. Like I said before it is still possible to eat healthy clean food and still gain weight. So it is important to eat enough protein, complex carbs and healthy fat to fuel your body throughout the day especially if you are exercising regularly. I recommend measuring and logging your food in an app such as MyFitnessPal or Lost It for a couple days to see how much food you are actually consuming. You will be surprised to find out that your may either be eating too much or at times too little food for your body and goals. If needed, seek guidance to find someone to help you get an idea of the macronutrients your body needs to fit your specific goals. Remember to use this as a guide, all of our bodies are different so if you feel like certain foods or amounts aren't working for you, then seek other options.
5. Don't let friend, holidays or other events determine your success! There is never a right time to start with a clean eating healthy lifestyle, there will always be friends, events and holidays that get in the way but you have to put yourself first and take care of YOU! Don’t wait to start because there will never be a right time!
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." - Jim Rohn
6. Clean eating is not about being perfect. It’s about eating healthy unprocessed whole food most of the time, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun and still enjoy your favorite foods that you have always loved in moderation!
“You cannot change your destination overnight. You can change your direction." - Jim Rohn ”
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Meet Kasey Arena from Powercakes Blog!
One thing I love is seeing smart health-minded motivated woman sharing their passion to inspire others to live a balanced healthy lifestyle! I have followed Kasey Arena's blog Powercakes for several years now and she does just that! I have always enjoyed her fun recipes, colorful food filled plates, and her awesome challenges like the #JunePowerMealaDay challenge I participated in June 2012! Kasey is bursting at the seams with positivity and motivation and I am honored to interview her on the blog today! I think many of you already know this lovely lady but incase you don't, I am pleased to introduce you to Kasey of Powercakes!!
How did you come to love the world of health and fitness?
I grew up with a mother as a personal trainer so I did have healthy options all around me. I am so happy to be following in my Mom’s footsteps since she laid such a great foundation & example from a young age. It wasn't always something that I appreciated whenever I was younger because I often threw temper tantrums in the cereal aisle whenever I wanted sugary cereal, but I did have a great healthy balance as a child & loved my childhood! We were not deprived at all but we grew up being educated on making healthier choices while still living in balance. Fitness was something that I've always had inside of me. I played soccer since I was 8 years old until my college days & also ran track & was a triple jumper from junior high into college. I love competing & challenging myself! It’s an adrenaline rush like no other. Once I wasn't a part of a sports team anymore, I really did fall in love with weight lifting & working out. In college one of my best friends got me into strength training. I used to run right by all of the weights & go to my usual elliptical for an hour because I was afraid of all of the boys in the weight area – no lie! Once I started training with my friend and seeing how confident she was while asking guys twice her size to use weights they were using, I was instantly inspired! Her passion was contagious & I soon caught the weight lifting bug and haven’t stopped since!
What does a typical day of eating look like for you?
Right now I've really come to find a happier balance with eating. If you’d like to read a little more into my personal story about “checking myself before wrecking myself” you can find that here.
I personally have struggled with food allergies for years with symptoms ranging from stomach issues, digestive problems, & sever eczema on my hands. For years we never really correlated these problems with the foods I was eating. I’m a fan of eating foods closest to “whole” as possible but also enjoy other foods in moderation! I truly do believe in balance and not living under food rules. I was eating a lot of foods such as “whole grain” when I came to find that I had a gluten intolerance. I also dealt with horrible skin eczema which is irritated red bumps & dry skin that covered my right hand. After getting professional help and a food allergy test I found that I was allergic to almonds. I can eat them in moderation, same with gluten, but whenever I “over-do” these foods, my body reacts.
With that being said, my big motto is “be true to you”. I really don’t have a certain way of eating because I listen to how my body reacts. I like all types of foods & have found that the more variety I eat, the better my body reacts. I have a huge passion for cooking & baking so that’s where a lot of my recipes come from.
I also make sure to fuel my body with enough food such a proteins, carbs, fats, minerals, vitamins, & fiber to fuel my fitness & lifestyle! I am a personal trainer so I am always on the go!
With all of that being said, my usual day of eats starts with a big breakfast of powercakes (protein pancakes of all types) or waffles topped with peanut fluff & fruit with some coffee with coconut milk & liquid stevia. Lunch is usually my post workout meal so it’s usually a big scramble with millet & flax bread topped with hummus or avocado with raw kraut & some baked old bay kale chips! I LOVE me some seasonings!
Dinner is usually a bowl or plate of rice or noodles with a protein of choice and a healthy fat or big powerbowl with tons of veggies, roasted squash, creamy tahini nooch sauce, & some type of protein (My digestion seems to be happier whenever I eat plant based proteins as well as eggs & seafood!)
I always have a snack before bed and usually choose something like a single serve cherry chunk cookie or FRONANA. Nut butter is ALWAYS involved in my night time snack as well & my chocolate sauce. I really don’t fear carbs at night & find that I am always energized in the morning for a workout from fuel the night before. Definitely find what works best for you though!
As you can see, I do eat a lot of colors & whole foods, but I also enjoy all types of flavors & will not turn down “unhealthy foods” if it’s something I truly want! Finding balance is hard but it’s something I work towards every day.
Some of my favorite go to snacks are fruit, puffins cereal (obsessed), brown rice crackers, veggies, hummus, or anything I’m craving that day!
I love your hashtag #beTRUEtoYOU! Can you tell us what being true to you is all about?
Be true to you” is my mantra all day every day. I think in the fitness world, and the world in general, we often compare ourselves to other people. We see pictures and want to look like someone else and think we’re less than if we don’t. We also look at other peoples eating choices and think we’re doing something wrong if we don’t’ eat like them. I work really hard to help people accept themselves for who they are and OWN IT. Looking to other people for inspiration & motivation instead of comparing themselves to that person. It’s hard and I understand that, but finding love with fitness & food starts with finding love with yourself. You taking the steps to get healthier is really you loving yourself more to want to take care of yourself. Be true to you & find what it is you like to do! The more you enjoy your fitness, the more you will want to do it. I work to live by this motto everyday. I don’t try and sway my decisions with fitness and food based on trying to be like someone else, but instead I get inspired by others to try new things or eat a new food! Finding enjoyment is what I aim to do in life.
What is your favorite style of workout? What is your best tip for someone who is just getting started with a new exercise routine and healthy eating plan?
My favorite types of working out are lifting & circuit style training. I love challenging myself in the weight room but also doing some plyos or burpees! I really love all types of fitness. You can find some of my workouts here.
My biggest tip is to have a positive mind & not compare yourself to others! I think one of the top reasons that people are hesitant about starting a fitness program is that they think they “can't” do it. I get a lot of people that approach me saying “I really want to take your class but I don't think I can do what ______ (insert name here) can!” or seeing a workout and instantly thinking “There is no way I can do that!”
Negative thinking is what holds us back most often. It’s that voice inside our head that’s saying “I can't” or “it’s too hard”. Unless you've got an injury that is holding you back from a certain move, you never know if you can something until you try!
Same goes for eating – it never hurts to try something new or test out a new recipe! I love getting inspired by others to use an ingredient in a whole new way! I love the positive end of social media where people encourage others to try new things or help each other out with tips on new recipes.
Small steps in a more positive direction will eventually lead to accomplishments!
I absolutely love your blog PowerCakes and love all of your healthy recipes! Can you tell us what exciting things you are up to now and what we can expect to see in the near future?
Thank you so much! It means a lot to have such amazing support from others. I am currently personal training & working on following my dreams with creating my own Powercakes Product. I now offer tank tops on my site but there will eventually be a food product added in! I've been working really hard for the last year & a half with the small business developing center at the University of Pittsburgh. They are helping me make my goals a reality and it’s such an exciting process! It’s scary sometimes to follow your dreams but usually that fear means you’ve got to do it! It definitely takes longer than I originally expected but I'm hopeful that all of the hard work & hours put in will work out in the long run! I know in my gut that I am meant to share my visions to help others & I work towards that every single day with the help & support from everyone!
If you want to hear more from Kasey, you can also check her out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!
xoxo - Amber
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40 Coffee Shops in NYC and Brooklyn That Have Almond Milk
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
For the last 2.5 years since discovering I am allergic to soy and lactose intolerant I have been either drinking my coffee black with cinnamon and stevia or bringing my own jar of almond milk from home to coffee shops in the city. That option is usually totally inconvenient especially when I often don't have access to a fridge OR on the days when I would like to enjoy more coffee throughout the day but have already finished off the almond milk I brought from home. I have been impatiently waiting for Starbucks to introduce either almond or coconut milk to the world and would check the customer forum My Starbucks Ideas to see if there were any updates as to when this would happen. I've even chimed in several times about my frustration on the forums, their facebook page and on twitter. I wasn't the only unhappy customer, there are threads going back to 2008 dedicated to this topic, 1 topic has over 50,000 votes! The only response I could find from Starbuck was from January 18, 2012 from moderator sbx_bean stating "The beverage team is currently vetting alternatives to dairy and soy". Well they clearly aren't working fast enough and losing customers along the way!
Today about 75% of adults worldwide can't tolerate lactose and many others are allergic to soy and dairy placing these two foods on the "Top 8 Allergen List". I find it a little bit ridiculous that Starbucks, a multibillion dollar company with more than 10,000 locations in the U.S. alone, can't come up with some sort of dairy alternative to serve customers with food allergies.
So while I've waited around for Starbucks to get their act together, I did a little research and found that there are other coffee shop options around NYC who gladly carry almond milk, The first one being Whole Foods Market cafe. I started going to the Union Square location for almond milk lattes when I was in the area and then later they opened up their 57th street location and started offering Wifi in the upstairs cafe, this location later became the perfect office for me to meet with some of my health coaching clients. Then almond milk started trickling in other coffee shops like Dean and Deluca, Fairway Market, Health Nuts and then some smaller coffee shops in Brooklyn. Soon Starbucks became less appealing when I was out on the go and needed my coffee fix. So to make it a little easier on all of us New Yorkers or those planning a visit to NYC in the future here is a list of 40 coffee shops in New York City and Brooklyn that carry almond milk! Enjoy!
Manhattan Coffee Shops
- Le Pain Quotidien - Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Chelsea, Midtown, West Village & Greenwich Village
- Dean and Deluca - Columbus, Upper East Side, Midtown & SoHo
- Fairway Market coffee shop - Kips Bay, Upper East Side, Flatiron, Upper West Side & Harlem
- Whole Foods Market coffee shop - TriBeCa(wifi), Lower East Side, Union Square, Chelsea, Midtown(wifi), Columbus Circle
- 12 Corners - Lower East Side - Wifi
- Ground Support - SoHo
- The Bean - East Village & Greenwich Village - Wifi
- Elsewhere Espresso - East Village - Wifi
- 71 Irving Place Coffee Bar - Gramercy
- UR Cup - Greenwich Village & Chelsea
- O Cafe - Greenwich Village - Wifi
- OatMeals - Greenwich Village - Wifi
- Hu Kitchen - Greenwich Village - Wifi
- Whynot Coffee - West Village - Wifi
- 'sNice - West Village & SoHo - Wifi
- Kahve - Hells Kitchen
- Crave Espresso Bar - TriBeCa - Wifi
- L A Burdick - Flatiron
- Koffeecake Corner - Chelsea & Flatiron - Wifi
- The Commons Chelsea - Chelsea - Wifi
- Terri - Chelsea & Financial District
- Argo Tea - Columbus Circle, Union Square, Flatiron, NYU & Chelsea - Wifi
- Sasha's Coffee - Upper West Side - Wifi
- Health Nuts health food store - Upper East Side
- The Chipped Cup - Harlem -Wifi
Brooklyn Coffee Shops:
- 'sNice - Park Slope - Wifi
- Sun in Bloom - Park Slope - Wifi
- Crespella - Park Slope
- Penny House Cafe - Prospect Heights - Wifi
- Le Pain Quotidien - Brooklyn Heights
- Clementine Bakery - Clinton Hill - Wifi
- NeroDora - Clinton Hill - Wifi
- Liquid Oz - Bedstuy - Wifi
- Upright Coffee - Green Point
- Bedford Baking Studio - Williamsburg - Wifi
- Pudge Nuckles - North Williamsburg - Wifi
- Kave - Bushwick - Wifi
- Central Cafe - Bushwick - Wifi
- Little Skips - Bushwick - Wifi
- Fairway Market coffee shop - Redhook
Do you have a favorite coffee shop in your city that carries a soy and dairy milk alternative? If so, share it in the comments below!
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Fitness Magazine #FitBlogNYC Meet & Tweet Recap 2013
Hey party people! What a fantastically crazy busy two week I just had! I just flew back in to NY a few hours ago from an amazing long weekend trip back home to Jacksonville, FL with my family. We spent every day either laying out by the pool or the beach and soaking up the beautiful weather we had. It seriously couldn't have been nicer down there, not too hot and beautiful clear skies, it was truly a gift from god! I am still trying to process everything that happened over the last two weeks and have a lot of catching up to do with the blog, school work, my new clients, and some other fun projects that I have in the works. Life can get really crazy sometimes even when the craziness is all mostly fun stuff!
If you are already following me on Instagram and Facebook, then you probably already know all about most of my fitness adventures around NYC. So on Thursday May 16th, I was invited to go back to Fitness Magazine's #FitBlogNYC Meet & Tweet event at the Mercedes Club in NYC. I had the chance to go last year and it was so much fun it, blew my mind! At the time, Exsoycise was fairly new and I had just become an Ambassador for FitFluential the month before the event so I didn't really know anyone before besides recognizing a few familiar faces from social media. As nerve racking as it was, I stepped out of my comfort zone and made some new blogger friends just by going up and awkwardly introducing myself. Scary huh? We ended up having a blast together that day and continued our newfound friendship through the year.
I guess I grew up a bit over this last year, which I actually think has a lot to do with me going to school at Integrative Nutrition and meeting people I do not know ALL the time, so by this year when I went to the Meet and Tweet event I had lots of fellow blogger friends who I had met on my own throughout the year who were there as well. I also met up with a really amazing group of girls before the event for coffee and we all introduced ourselves and blogs and then walked over to the event together. It felt like a big school reunion!
Just some of my fave peeps... Mari from NamasteMari (top left), Jill from JillHanner (top right and middle left), Christy from Chocolate Covered Diamonds (middle right), Courtney from Treadmill Runway (bottom left and middle), and Bex from BexLife and the super amazing Social Academy! (bottom right)
Mercedes Club was absolutely beautiful! We walked up a stairway which led us into a very modern gym lobby, which was surrounded by glass walls overlooking the many outside patios covered in astroturf, one of them had a pool and deck that was to die for! We signed in and got our fancy event badges and lanyards which had a sticker on the bottom representing which workout you would participate in later. Mine was a little yogi, the other two options were running and a dance class and I'm not really big on either. :) They told us to grab some breakfast and make our way out to a patio to enjoy. I grabbed a green smoothie from Elixir and two hard boiled eggs. I had actually cut out eggs since that Monday, but because it is so second nature for me to go for the healthy egg option, I grabbed them and chowed down on them. Oh well! The green juice was very earthy but good in a weird way. Believe it or not, that was only the second green juice I've ever had in my life!
We grabbed our food and a spot on the long benches, then I walked around and met up with some of my buddies from social media. I finally got to meet fellow blogger and #imagreatist Ambassador Katie from HungryRunner. It's always fun to put faces to names especially after you feel like you've known people for so long via social media.
Top 3 beauty secrets: Sleep well so you stay rested, wear a tinted moisturizer and tinted lip balm to cover redness, and wear the same color tone on lip and cheek.
Hot summer looks: Bright colors, buy a couple seasonal trending pieces per season, Pastel on eyes, and Vibrant color on lip.
Hot to get ready at the gym in 5 minutes: Use a good dry shampoo, put your hair up in a fun bun, put on a cute headband and top with a peach blush instead of a bronzer.
Dr. Jennifer Ashton MD,Ob-Gyn (middle left), is an ABC News Senior Medical Contributor,women's health expert, author of Your Body Beautiful and The Body Scoop for Girls.
Her top woman's health tips:
Your gyno should be a partner in health and should treat the WHOLE body not just treat one body part.
Move, rest and be nourished! Be the captain of YOUR own body!
Woman should be aware of the amount and the frequency of alcohol they are drinking. Alcohol is not a friend to the breast!
Dr. Ashton recommends a healthy eating plan where you eat a strict healthy diet for 5 days a week and then use the 2 weekend days to relax and have a treat, she says this way you never feel deprived and eventually you won't crave your usual weekend guilty pleasures.
Then they had Deb Perelman @SmittenKitchen, Dana Weiss @Possessionista, Jill Hanner @JillHanner, and Erin Whitehead @FitBottomedGirl on a panel to talk about My Blog is My Business (middle right).
Their top tips for turning passion into profit were:
Dana said don't blog for money, blog what you love and make money later. When it comes to sponsors you don't always have to say yes, do what is right for you and your readers.
Deb said not to waste your time worrying about what everyone else is doing, be unique and don't be afraid to be different!
Jill said not to obsess over your blog follower numbers.
Erin said not to worry about internet negativity.
Top blogging tips and tools:
SkimLinks - Converts words and links into money making affiliate links.
When you change your blog URL, make sure to place an automatic redirect so you don't lose followers.
YouTube tips for beginners: good lighting and sound, be aware of background noise.
Brett Hoebel is a celebrity trainer featured on The Biggest Loser season 11 and is the founder of Hoebel Fitness (Bottom left)
Brett talked about the extreme fitness trend today and how people do crazy workouts for bragging rights which has increased the popularity in events such as the Tough Mudder and CrossFit.
He said 20 minute intense workouts get the job done better than long drawn-out sessions. If you want the results you've got to "Train your ass off!"
I actually ran into Brett in the UES the next day and snagged a picture with him! Such a nice guy!
Rocco DiSpirito is the author of Now Eat This! Italian and is the star of Now Eat This! Italy Web series on AOL (bottom left).
His top tips for eating well and losing weight:
He says to slash the fat and not flavor when cooking, go for salad dressings that have more vinegar and less oil.
He believes that you can eat what you love and still lose weight as long as the ingredients are fresh and you cook at home. People are more likely to cook something healthy at home rather than when ordering take out.
Stop eating at the computer, when you eat in a social setting, you are more likely to slow down and eat mindfully.
A common myth is people say Italian food is bad for you. Eating smaller frequent meals made with fresh ingredients is key to losing weight.
During the Q&A with Rocco, I asked him what was his favorite recipe with the least amount of ingredients was. He first answered with a recipe for a soy dish so I didn't bother to write it down, but then he came back to me later and gave me his favorite strawberry Italian ice recipe (video) which had only 4 ingredients: Strawberry, sweetener, lemon and xanthan gum (bacterial slime)
I later thanked Rocco for the recipe and asked to snap a picture together.
After all of the speakers were done, we were invited to have lunch (which sadly I couldn't eat any of it because of it either having soy or cheese, but I luckily had a delicious protein shake and some almonds with me), socialize with each other and then walk around to meet all of the event sponsors such as Athleta, Camelbak, Fiesta Movement, Marmot, Reebok, Saucony, Tonalin, Vichy, Smart Balance and Crystal Light.
When I got home that night, I pulled everything out of my bag. It was like Christmas all over again! This year we got two pairs of sneakers, Reebok Sublite and Saucony Kinvara 4, which is much appreciated because I was in need of some new sneaks! I also got some really nice smelling Votivo candles, beauty products, headbands from Sparkley Soul and Athleta , a very cute bracelet, healthy candy (gave them to Chris), S.W. Basic vegan lip balm, Camelbak water bottle, a Reebok yoga top, a hair brush, Kombucha Wonder Drink and plastic iPad Chef Sleeves to use while cooking! It was all so amazing to receive!
Ford Fiesta Movement took these amazing photos of us with The Bosco photo booth during the event. Click here to see Jill, me and the girl's photo come to life!
Click here to see Mari and my Bosco photo booth come to life! I can't get enough of these shots!
Last but not least we had a really cool yoga workout with the very fun Tera Stiles of Strala Yoga out on the astroturf roof deck. It was so hot out there and all of our feet were burning so badly but we all had fun out there on the lawn together! I think this was the first Yoga class I've taken to hiphop music, so cool!
It was such a long fun day and it didn't stop there! After the event Courtney and I went back to her hotel to freshen up and then made our way down to Physique 57 in SOHO for our second workout of the day with Diana and Kayla who were also at FitBlogNYC. This was my very first barre class and I really wasn't sure what to expect! I don't take classes in general so I was actually a little nervous. You would be surprised by how uncoordinated I am! Emily Zuzelski was our instructor and she was cute as could be. So upbeat and motivating! She had an assistant who walked around and helped us all with our form, I need a LOT of help actually. The class was a full body workout. It incorporated cardio, weights, yoga-type stretching, and then of course the barre where we used stretching bands and balls. We held onto the barre while squatting and standing on our toes AND doing pulsing movements. I seriously thought I was going to die! But we had a blast, there were definitely a lot of laughs coming from our side of the room ;)
Organic Avenue treated us with some delicious juices after our class. I was in love with their chia coconut water juice!
To wrap up that fabulous day Courtney, Kayla and I went to my favorite restaurant in the whole world, Bareburger. We all grubbed on some amazing organic grassfed hamburgers and french fries, and enjoyed sitting outside on the patio. It was both of their first time going to Bareburger and I think they enjoyed it as much as I did.
Wowwweeee what a day! I hope you enjoyed this mega long post and it made you feel like you were right along side me through the whole day!
Have you ever taken a barre exercise class? Did it kill you like it did me?
Who is your favorite health or fitness celebrity?
Sweet Potato Pie Pancake Recipe (soy, dairy and grain free)
Just about every morning this week I've eaten sweet potato and eggs mixed together with cinnamon and stevia. I often get weird looks and comments when I tell people what I'm eating, but they usually change their tune once they actually see a picture of this delightful dish. It's so delicious and such a great way to mix up breakfast in the morning!
This morning I decided to get fancy and whip up a new sweet potato pancake recipe. I used the same template as my Paleo pumpkin pancakes, but I just subbed out the pumpkin for a half cup of skinless mashed sweet potato and added more almond milk.
I then made what I call Sweet Potato Fluff, inspired by my Pumpkin Pie Fluff, with the remainder sweet potato, cinnamon, and 2 Tbsps of almond butter. It was absolutely divine!
Enjoy the recipe and let me know what you think!
Sweet Potato Pie Pancakes
Makes 5 small pancakes - 1 serving
2 tbsp Almond flour
2 tsp Coconut Flour
2 jumbo or extra large eggs
1/2 cup of mashed cooked sweet potato without skin
2-4 tbsp almond milk or coconut milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
dash of baking soda
dash of stevia or a small amount of maple syrup
Mix all ingredients the dry ingredients together. Then in a separate bowl, mix the remainder wet ingredients. Throw all ingredients together and mix well.
Set your stove to medium to medium-low heat, preheat skillet. Heat will vary depending on the type of stove you are working with. Once the pan is hot, coat the pan lightly with oil.
Pour the batter into the pan, makes about 5 little cakes, cook pancakes for a couple minutes on both sides until golden brown brown, flipping once. Top with either coconut butter, coconut oil or almond butter. Bon Appétit!
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My 21 Day Sugar Detox Recap Plus Tips on How to Survive It
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
January 1st, I was sitting on the couch recovering from a champagne hangover from NYE and trying to mentally prepare myself for the 21 Day Sugar Detox which I was starting the next day. It was hard for me to grasp the whole no stevia part of it because I LOVE that sweet stuff, but it was only 21 days and I felt comfort in the fact that I could always add it back in after the detox was over. I decided to do level 3 of the detox since I was already living a life without dairy, grains and legumes with the exception of an occasional "cheat" meal on some weekends.
For me level 3 meant cutting out my stevia (the hardest part for me), vegan protein powder (I use vegan because of my soy allergy and lactose intolerance), sweet potatoes (except for a couple post-workout meals), the occasional glass or three of wine on some weekends, red apples and banana omelets. Other than that, I didn't really have any issues with other fruits as I am doing my best to only eat what is in season.
I was actually quite nervous about cutting out my protein powder because I was using it daily post-workout and sometimes it is hard to get protein in on the go. But on the other hand it had a lot of unnecessary junk ingredients in it including glucose and the protein came from pea protein isolate, artichoke protein, organic sprouted amaranth powder and organic sprouted quinoa powder. I don't consume peas or quinoa in my everyday diet, so it really has no place in my protein shake. I did really enjoy how delicious they were and how I easily could get my protein in while on the go. But on the other hand, I was excited to consume real food post-workout because from what I hear that is best for the body. Plus who really needs all those extra ingredients floating about our body!
A normal day of food pre-detox would go like this:
- Wake up - 1-2 cups coffee with almond milk and tons of stevia. Breakfast would potentially be sweet potatoes sprinkled with cinnamon and stevia with a side of eggs or a banana omelet with cinnamon, stevia and topped with almond butter.
- Go to the gym and after have a post workout vegan protein shake with a Gala apple.
- Later have about three more meals spaced out throughout the day with protein, healthy fats and vegetables with a cup of green tea with stevia.
As you can see, I wasn't going crazy on sweets or real sugar but I was including quite a bit of stevia daily and using the vegetable based protein powder about 5-6 days a week.
A day of food while on the 21 DSD:
- Wake up - Have a warm glass of lemon water and 1 cup of coffee black with cinnamon and vanilla extract. Breakfast was eggs with carrots, avocado, tomato, mushrooms, ect. or Paleo pumpkin pancakes topped with coconut butter. I wrote an entire post about breakfast ideas because my dishes were getting so creative!
- Post-workout I would have two hard boiled eggs or chicken and a green apple. Towards the end of the detox I had 1/2 cup of sweet potato post workout.
- The next three meals would be meals like chicken tortilla-LESS soup, grassfed ground beef with vegetables, curry chicken drumsticks, spicy chicken thighs, spicy shrimp and vegetables in tomato sauce, or curry salmon mixed with vegetables.
As I mentioned, I finally started to get used to life without stevia and started to drink black coffee with cinnamon and vanilla extract. I think the hardest part of the detox was that I couldn't sweeten my coffee because I knew just how delicious a sweetened coffee was. But I survived and didn't give in at all!
I didn't miss wine really except one night when I had an exceptionally stressful day, but I still did not give in. I even went to a bar to watch the Denver Broncos play and enjoyed my time while everyone around me was boozing it up. I think the fact that I was felt so amazing and energized kept me from feeling like I was missing out on the fun.
Benefits I received from the detox:
- Within three days of the detox, my jawline acne cleared up completely! I believe this to be either hormonal or from consuming dairy on the occasional weekends in a "cheat" meal. It usually takes weeks for the acne to clear up because it is deep. So I was completely shocked that it was gone.
- I was bursting with energy! Normally when 8pm rolled around, I feel sluggish and just want to crawl into bed or lay on the couch after a long day. Sometimes I would even fall asleep riding home on the subway. But during the detox I was zipping around my apartment cleaning, cooking, blogging or doing school work and never felt as though I just wanted to sleep. It was amazing!
- I always had a good nights rest no matter how many hours I slept. I really loved waking up so refreshed in the mornings and never really felt like I wanted to hit the snooze button a million time.
- I lost 5.8lbs! I weighed once during the middle of the detox and was quite pleased with the results. I only worked out during the last two weeks and would have been curious to see if I lost any more had I been working out the entire time.
- I could taste the natural sweetness in foods such as carrots and green apples. I was a bit shocked and thought I was cheating so I posted a question onto the 21DSD Facebook wall and was reassured that I was not, but that I was just tasting the natural sugars.
During the detox I never cheated or slipped up, but I did binge eat a couple times on foods that tasted sweet to me and that was a bummer. I ate roasted carrots quite a bit and one evening they tasted so exceptionally delicious, I ate about three 1lb bags in one sitting. Then another night I made homemade almond butter with just raw almonds and proceeded to eat an entire jar in only 2.5 days. I had a couple other weak moments with raw almonds towards the end of the detox. I think I missed sweet stuff so much that I would go overboard when I found something that tasted sweet to me. But I guess there could have been worse things to over indulge on.
Since finishing, I have had a few treats here and there and am giving organic green leaf stevia a try, but so far it tastes like grass to me and I don't recommend it. Overall I really enjoyed the detox! I ate a ton of great food, had some impressive results and I proved to myself that I could survive without stevia! I would definitely recommend to anyone who feels like they have a dependency to sugar or like me, just wants to see how your body responds without artificial sweeteners. I also recommend this program for people who want to transition into a more whole foods based or Paleo lifestyle.
My tips for others who are starting the 21 Day Sugar Detox:
- Plan ahead! Find recipes you want to try during the detox and make a grocery list of all the items you will need. I made a Pinterest board of approved recipes and would use that to plan out my meals. If you can, try to go shopping before day 1 of the detox.
- Cook in large batches. Take one evening to cook several different meals and pack them in containers for the week. Don't forget, you can always freeze foods if you don't think you will be able to eat them in time.
- Always be prepared on the go! Make sure you bring food with you everywhere you go. Since you've already cooked and prepackaged your meals ahead of time, you can just throw a couple food containers in your bag and head off for the day.
- Eat spicy food! I have never really been big on spicy food, but since the detox I learned to love a heavy amount of cayenne pepper, cumin and curry seasonings on my foods. It for one, stopped all sweet cravings and two, it kept me feeling full for a few hours. If you aren't into spicy foods yet, start with a very small amount and add more as you are able to tolerate it. You will most likely learn to love it and become and addict like I did!
- Drink a ton of water! Most of the time we mistake hunger for thirst, so to prevent the hunger pangs drink lots of water throughout the day. I started my mornings off with a warm glass of water and half of a lemons juice, then used the other half of the lemon in my water bottle to drink during the day.
- Find your beverage of choice. It took me a while to get used to coffee black or with cinnamon and vanilla, but after a while I acquired a taste for it. I also used coconut oil and grassfed butter in my coffee towards the end of the detox and those were also enjoyable. But if black coffee is not your thing, find a tea that you love such as mint or ginger tea and enjoy.
- Lastly, just remember that it is only 21 days and the sweet stuff will still be there waiting for you once it's all over. But hopefully after the amazing benefits you receive from it, you wont get too crazy :)
Would you ever do a 21 day sugar detox? What is one thing you would feel like you couldn't live without for 21 day?
Disclaimer: We earn a small commission if you use the highlighted links to purchase the products mentioned in this post. We recommend only products that we would use in our own home or that we would recommend for our clients. Your purchases help to support our blogging activities such as creating yummy recipes to share with you and also helps us to bring even more helpful nutrition and training information to you on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us continue what we LOVE to do!
Paleo Pumpkin Pancake Recipe with Coconut Butter Topping
Late last night after I got home from the gym, I was eager to try to make a coconut butter recipe that I pinned a couple weeks ago. It seemed simple enough, 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut and 3 tbsp coconut oil. I threw those 2 ingredients into the food processor and turned it on for maybe 12 or so minutes until it was creamy. OH MY LAWD it was good!! It was so sweet, I felt as though I was cheating on my 21DSD (eek!). But luckily it was safe since it only had the two ingredients. It is so interesting that after 16 days of not having any sugar, things start tasting very sweet to me. The last two days I have had green apples after my workouts and they tasted super sweet, just like a red apple! I started to question if I bought the wrong kind of green apple because it should have tasted slightly tart, not sweet. But then I had to remind myself that the natural sugars just really stand out to me more now.
When I woke up this morning, I was excited to use my new delicious coconut butter as a topping on something. So I decided to create a new pumpkin pancake recipe. I whipped together all my favorite ingredients and cooked up 5 perfect little cakes. I was quite pleased with how well the pancakes turned out on the first try, this recipe is definitely a winner! I was also shocked by how delicious they were without any kind of sweetener! I have tried a couple recipes since I've been on the sugar detox but they have all tasted just a little off to me. So please enjoy this recipe, detox or no detox :)
Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes - makes 5 small pancakes - 1 serving
- 2 tbsp Almond flour
- 2 tsp Coconut Flour
- 2 jumbo eggs
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tbsp almond milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
- dash of baking soda
Optional ingredients:
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- sweetener of choice if NOT on the 21 Day Sugar Detox
1. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients together, then add in the remainder ingredients and mix well.
2. Pre-heat skillet on stove top to medium to medium-low heat. Heat will vary depending on the type of stove you are working with.Once the pan is hot, add a tbsp coconut oil to coat the pan.
3. Pour the batter into the pan, making about 5 small cakes.
4.Cook pancakes for a couple minutes on both sides until golden brown, flipping once. Top with either coconut butter, coconut oil or almond butter. Bon Appétit!
Coconut buttery goodness!
Do you have a good recipe for coconut butter or another unconventional butter? If so, please share!
P.S. Wanna sneak peek into one of my 10-Day Detox programs that uses the elimination diet? Sign up to get my FREE 3-Day Detox and jump-start your weight loss now!
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WIAW - A Week Worth of Paleo Breakfasts
Happy Wednesday everyone! It's been a long time since I've done a What I ate Wednesday post, so today I decided to post a weeks worth of the 21DSD approved breakfast plates I've been munching on! I realize that a lot of people get stuck when it come to breakfast and go for the easiest thing possible. But the fact is that breakfasts like these can be easy too as long as you plan and prepare. Most of the food below were cooked in the evenings. All of the roasted carrots and eggplant were roasted in the oven while I tidied up my apartment or did homework. The steak and steamed asparagus were left overs from dinner. The only things I had to cook in the morning was the eggs and cut up the avocado and tomato, both took only minutes. The bacon wrapped kale and egg cups were made the week before. I cooked them in the oven at night and ate two for breakfast each morning. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Back when I had a job which required me to wake up at 5am, I would cook egg, kale and beef bacon casserole ahead of time and quickly heat them up in the mornings. So there is no excuse for running out of the house with an empty stomach nor chowing down on bagels and muffins every morning! :)
2 whole eggs, portobello mushroom cap, steamed asparagus and sautéed cinnamon ginger carrots
2 whole eggs, 2 portobello mushroom caps, tomato and avocado
2 whole eggs over spicy sautéed onions, roasted eggplant, roasted cinnamon ginger carrots, avocado and tomato
2 whole eggs over spicy sauteed onions, 2.5oz london broil steak, avocado and tomato
2 whole eggs and 3 ingredient Paleo pumpkin pancakes topped with homemade almond butter
3 whole eggs, crispy bacon and roasted cinnamon ginger carrots
Bacon wrapped kale and egg cups
Keep calm and eat breakfast!
What are your favorite breakfast dishes?
xoxo-Amber
P.S. Wanna sneak peek into one of my 10-Day Detox programs that uses the elimination diet? Sign up to get my FREE 3-Day Detox and jump-start your weight loss now!
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Curry Spice Drumstick Recipe
The last couple months I've been doing my best to buy organic or grassfed meat when the price is right. Now that I'm a broke student again, I am having to be careful and watch what I'm purchasing. I can't go to the store now and buy things just because they look good or might be fun to try, I know have to pinch pennies and buy the essentials. I normally go for the organic boneless skinless chicken thighs at about $3.99 per pound. Organic chicken breasts are pretty much out as they are about $5.99 or more per pound. But I find that the thighs are easier on my stomach anyway. I do, however, splurge occasionally on the grassfed ground beef at Trader Joe's. I believe it's $6.49 per pound, so I will grab a pack or two here and there. Other than that, I buy lean London broil from my grocer on sale for $2.99 per pound or canned salmon (at least for now since I know it will be a year or so before the canned stuff starts to come from Frankenfish). Neither of those are organic but sometimes it's the best I can do.
I cannot remember the last time I cooked or ate a drumstick. But when I saw the organic drumsticks at Trader Joe's last week for $1.99 a pound, I figured why not! I've pinned some recipes onto my 21DSD Pinterest board so it's been on my virtual to-make list anyway! I looked at several recipes online and from the 21DSD recipe portion of the ebook and while all the recipes looked amazing, most of them required browning the drumsticks first and then baking them in the oven. But I am lazy and I always want to do things the easiest way possible, so I just decided to cook them in the skillet just like my grandma always did back in the good old days. :) They turned out really amazing and I will definitely start rotating these into the menu!
Curry Spice Drumstick
- 2 packs of drumsticks (about 8-10)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp curry spice
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic and onion mix
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat coconut oil in skillet over medium/high heat. Seasoned the drumsticks with the above spices, add more or less to alter the spice factor, places them skin side down in the pan with for 5 minutes, the flipped over for 3 minutes, and finally flipped back over to the skin side and cover for roughly 15 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Enjoy!
What is your best tip for buying organic or grassfed meat?
xoxo-Amber
P.S. Wanna sneak peek into one of my 10-Day Detox programs that uses the elimination diet? Sign up to get my FREE 3-Day Detox and jump-start your weight loss now!
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Day 11 of the 21DSD and the Winner of the Kelapo Giveaway!
Today is day 11 of my 21 day sugar detox! I feel good despite there being a HUGE box of gourmet sugary donuts in my kitchen (UGH). I don't even like donuts but my senses are really strong because I have been sugar-free for the last 11 days and they smell AMAZING!
Good news is I've lost 5.8lbs since starting the detox! I can definitely tell my arms are starting to lean out a bit. I haven't been working out recently because I have been on the verge of catching a cold, so I started back up this week. I did some cardio on Thursday and trained legs with Chris on Friday. My advice to all you girls out there is to go date a personal trainer, two words: FREE TRAINING :) Just kidding, but it really is a nice luxury to have!
On Friday I finally get to wear my Christmas goodies to the gym. I wore my gorgeous leopard print Femme Fitale workout gloves with matching leopard sports bra from Victoria Secret and my bright yellow Lululemon top from my lovely sister!
One thing that I have incorporated into my daily routine is warm lemon water first thing in the morning. It feels great on my throat and from what I hear it is good for digestion, immune system function and for metabolism. I found a bunch of good bits of info in this article about the top 10 reasons to drink lemon water in the morning.
Now to get to the good stuff! The winner of the Kelapo Coconut Oil Non-stick Cooking Spray giveaway is blog reader Anne from Minnesota! Congrats and enjoy!
xoxo-Amber
Kelapo Coconut Oil Cooking Spray Review and GIVEAWAY!
A couple months ago I received an email from the lovely people at Kelapo cooking oil company, they had stumbled upon my blog and noticed I was blogging about living soy-free. They asked me if I would like to try out their all new soy-free Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Non-stick Cooking Spray. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I read the email because I thought I would never in a million years come across a healthy soy-free cooking spray! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm already a coconut oil fanatic and have turned so many of my friends on to it. So of course I told them YES YES YES I would love to try out the spray!
They sent over the coconut oil spray and within a week or so and the first thing I made was a banana omelet, of course. I sprayed down my little frying pan, I didn't have to use very much at all because it coated the pan so nicely, and poured in my mixture of banana and eggs. It cooked up so perfectly without sticking to the pan! I was seriously amazed by how well it worked because for the last 2 years I have really missed the ease of using a cooking oil spray.
That week I continued to use it to make some allergy friendly cookies, coconut flour pancakes, chicken on my grill pan, and anything else I could think to cook. I was immediately hooked on this stuff and even got my roommate, Jordan, hooked on it as well! It made cooking and baking super easy. Occasionally the spray tip would get clogged since it is coconut oil and coconut oil turns into a solid in cool temperatures, so I would just run it under warm water for a few seconds. That would clear it right up and I would be back in business!
I think besides the fact that I can cook and bake like a normal person again, I also felt really confident that I was using a good quality oil that was heart healthy and not some fake oil spray that claims to be olive oil but is actually soy.
I love this spray so much that I want you to be able to try it out too! GIVEAWAY TIME!!
How to Enter the Giveaway!
All you have to do is leave me a comment below telling me what you would cook if you had your very own can of Kelapo extra virgin coconut non-stick cooking oil spray and tweet the wording below!
Tweet…. “Check out @exsoycise to enter to win a can of @Kelapo organic coconut oil non-stick cooking spray http://exsoycise.com #soyfree #GIVEAWAY“
I will choose the winner at random on Friday, January 11th at midnight. (U.S. residents only)
If you can't wait for the contest to be over, you can use Kelapo's store locator to find a store in your area that carry Kelapo products OR you can buy right from their website for $7.29 or on Amazon for $8.52!
xoxo-Amber
Day 4 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox!
Exsoycise is now Awakened Nutrition & Training, a blog for health seekers, food lovers and dream body builders!
Today I am on day 4 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox and so far it's going really well! I haven't had any meltdowns and I still have all my fingers and toes (wahoo!)! For those of you who are just tuning in, I started the 21DSD on January 2nd. I stayed over at Chris's apartment the night before and luckily I planned ahead and brought over some steak and sautéed onions. That morning for breakfast I enjoyed a onion, mushroom and spinach omelet with a side of bacon from a diner. The omelet normally comes with toast and potatoes but I just asked the server to leave them off the plate. For lunch I had my steak and onions with a side of raw carrots and for dinner I had a hamburger patty topped with an egg and a side of cooked carrots.
Later that night, I went to Trader Joe's to do a little grocery shopping and to my surprise they were out of a ton of food! Luckily they had most of the veggies and meats that I wanted. So I got in and out quickly and went right home and started cooking up a storm!
I made bacon wrapped egg and kale cups. I took raw bacon and wrapped it around the walls of a large muffin pan and tossed in some frozen kale and cracked an egg over it. Can we talk about #yolkporn...I mean seriously. I think I'm in love.
I roasted some garlic, salt and ginger carrots in the oven until they were a little crispy. Roasted carrots are now one of my favorite sides and snacks! I bet they would be really good dipped in some guacamole!
I sautéed a big batch of onions and split them in half and added them to a pan with grassfed ground beef and organic lean chicken thighs. Lately, I've preferred the thighs over chicken breast, it's not as heavy of a meat and seems to settle better with my stomach and tastes delicious! I seasoned both dishes with cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, curry seasoning, salt and pepper, this is now my go to spice selection. Once they were about done cooking, I tossed frozen brussel sprouts in with my chicken thighs and frozen kale in with the beef.
Having these delicious meals prepared made it easy to stay in line with the 21DSD guidelines. I looked forward to my meals because they were filled with deliciously seasoned foods!
The hardest part of the sugar detox for me so far has been giving up the Stevia in my coffee. The first day I tried coffee black from Starbucks during the middle of the day because I was so tired I felt like I was going to pass out, it wasn't unbearable but it wasn't exactly good. The third day, I had my coffee with almond milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon, and today I had coffee with coconut cream from Trader Joe's, cinnamon, vanilla, and unsweetened cocoa. I think that deep down inside I believed that adding all this extra stuff will somehow make it sweet or at least a little more tolerable but it's not really working :) I may have to try my mint tea and see how that goes!
Last night I tried Paleo Comfort Foods Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup recipe and it turned out better than expected. It was full of chicken, tomato, peppers, onions, cilantro, lime and had a slight kick to it. Before we devoured...I mean enjoyed our soups, I topped them with fresh avocado. Both Chris and I were highly impressed. I will be making this soup again!
So far I feel really good! I'm used to eating low carb during keto, so I have not experienced any headaches or mood swings. I have noticed that the acne that I've had along my jawline cleared up after only a couple days of the detox. I believe that the acne may be caused from the dairy I enjoyed over the Christmas and New Year's holidays but I'm not too sure. Today I woke up feeling really refreshed from only having 7.5 hours sleep last night so it seems like my sleep is improving!
I am excited to see what other health benefits I notice as I get deeper into the detox!
Have you tried the 21DSD? If so, what health benefits did you notice while on the detox?
What was the hardest thing for you to give up on the detox?
Disclaimer: We earn a small commission if you use the highlighted links to purchase the products mentioned in this post. We recommend only products that we would use in our own home or that we would recommend for our clients. Your purchases help to support our blogging activities such as creating yummy recipes to share with you and also helps us to bring even more helpful nutrition and training information to you on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us continue what we LOVE to do!