Cheddar Stuffed Apples

SOOOO good! And not too bad for ya either! :) Definitely worth making - so easy and so impressive to serve!

Ingredients:
4 baking apples, cored & halved
2 slices Ezekiel cinnamon-raisin bread, cubed
1 1/4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. apple pie seasoning
1 c. apple cider (or natural juice)

Preheat oven to 375. Heat non-stick pan to medium and throw in the bread, 1 c. of the cheese, and spices. (You can also throw in 1/4 c. onion at this point if it pleases you!) Melt altogether and remove from heat. Evenly divide the mix into the center of the apples. Bake covered for approx 28 minutes, top with the remaining cheese, and bake another couple minutes uncovered. Serves 8.

Quinoa Pilaf with Spinach & Curry

This is such a well-rounded meal. Warm and cozy from the quinoa and curry yet bright and fresh from the tomatoes & lemon! And of course quinoa has plenty of protein so don't feel like you need to add meat to balance out your meal.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 finely chopped small yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1 c. quinoa
1 1/4c. water
5 c. spinach leaves
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. lemon zest
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 pt. grape tomatoes

Place oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Add quinoa and cook for 1 minute. Add water and bring to boil. Cover & simmer approx. 20 minutes. Stir in spinach, lemon zest, and spices. Top with tomatoes.

Liar Liar Pants On Fire!

No time for exercise? Yeah, right. ;)

Vibram Five-Fingers Meet Insanity!

I would like to extend a big Congratulations to my new Vibram Five-Fingers who completed their first Insanity workout this morning! :)

I have had a few stress fractures in my feet before as well as lots of issues with my IT bands so I was quite curious to see how my body would respond. After wearing them all day yesterday, I awoke this morning simply feeling like my calves actually had muscle in them but no pain. And during the workout, I felt like I had great stability and grip to the floor yet they're very lightweight. I didn't feel like I was pounding the floor or having to work harder either.
So....I am super glad so far that they're part of my team! ;)

Microgreen salads for the week!

Soooo beautiful! And rewarding to plan ahead! Thanks to Missy Costello for putting together an AMAZING Ultimate Reset cookbook!

Vegan Paleo Gluten-free Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Recipe based on Missy Costello's recipe from her Karma Chow website.

Early Morning Workout Tip #1

Greenberry may be my new favorite!

Yes, this IS Greenberry! Just water mixed with a mix of frozen blackberries, blueberries, & raspberries.

Here's what I see: a LOT of people who WANT to make a change but don't commit.

And, for the most part here's why:

1. People are afraid of change. Until you're sicker of staying the same than you are of change, then you won't succeed.

2. Low self-esteem. You don't value yourself enough to think you can make it through to the end. The ironic thing is that this is PRECISELY the reason you should commit as your achievement will boost your self-esteem.

3. Some people think they can do it on their own. But, chances are that's not you since you're reading this! If they "CAN" do it on their own then why aren't they reaching their goals?

4. They don't think they have time. In reality, we all have 24 hours each day and there are people who are doing MORE than you every single day. It's all about what you make a priority, what's important to you, and how you manage those minutes and hours. If you think you don't have time, talk to me and we'll "find" some together. Or better yet, simply grid out the hours in the day each week, block off your non-negotiables and see what's left. You'll be surprised. And if NOTHING is left, then question the activities on there and see if they are truly worth it.

5.  The biggest one. Money. Somehow people think they can't afford a $4 meal each day when they regularly purchase Starbucks, go out to eat and pay anywhere from $5-$15 easily on a meal, pay a couple hundred dollars on cable that makes them sit lethargically on the couch, purchased processed foods at the store that are overpriced. The bottom line is that if you really WANT something, you'll DO WHAT IT TAKES to get it. Sell something on ebay. Take your clothes (or your kids) to a consignment shop. Borrow it. Find a few people to take the challenge with you. Those commissions will pay for your own challenge pack. The more skin you have in it, the more successful you'll be!

Why NOT me?

It's not just about having chiseled abs. It's about getting to and maintaining a healthy weight and feeding your body for fuel not out of emotion. It's also about pushing yourself to do things you haven't done before. Stretch yourself mentally AND physically.

AND, here's my FAV new breakfast recipe now that I've been drinking my Shakeology for an afternoon snack.

Nutty Southwestern Eggs

1/4 c. slivered almonds
2 eggs
2-3 Tbsp. fresh salsa (or at least the kind from the deli)
1/4 cubed avocado

1. Throw your almonds into a non-stick pan and brown.
2. Pour your eggs in on top and cook through to your liking.
3. Top with salsa and avocado.

SO easy, quick, and full of protein and good fats to get you going and keep you full! Oh, and if you'd like to serve it with some steamed greens (I like kale with Bragg's Liquid Aminos on top), that'd be awesome!

What's Holding YOU Back?

There's really NO reason that you should not participate in my July 2nd Body Gospel Beachbody Challenge.

What's in it for you? 
1. Spiritual Growth
2. Increased Energy
3. Weight Loss
4. Develop Healthier Eating Habits
5. Increased Self-Confidence...and much more!

What's it going to cost me? 
Here's what you get:
-the entire Body Gospel workout program, toning bands, nutrition guide, fitness guide, spiritual goals guide
-30 meals of Shakeology
-online accountability with ME! (that's worth the price right there!)
-30-day trial to the online Team Beachbody Club which gains you access to VIP live chats with celebrity  trainers, nutrition/fitness video tips, and more!
....for only $180.

That's awesome! For less than the cost of Starbucks or a value-meal you can get the Healthiest Meal of the Day for a month, not have to pay gym fees, save time by working out in the privacy of your own home, have all of the support, encouragement, and motivation you need as I hold your hand and take you step by step through it. I would be honored to work with you. Is growing closer to God and becoming more healthy and energetic worth $180 to you? If so...

Then, simply comment, "I'm ready!", email me at traci@benefitwithme.com, or text me at 317-525-4245. I can only take 4 more people for this challenge team so please don't waste any time!

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Paleo Omlette Bake

You can make this in muffin tins or a baking dish and then just cut into squares.

Ingredients:
16 eggs
16 oz. ham (nitrate/nitrite free preferably)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. mushrooms, diced
2 c. asparagus, diced
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced
freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whisk the eggs.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Pour into 20 paper lined muffin tins or a baking dish.
5. Bake about 20 minutes or until center appears cooked through and edges are starting to brown.

Serving size: 5 muffins or 1/4 of the baking dish.

TIP: Double your batch and freeze in individual servings!

"Paleo" Shakeology Candy Bars

The only reason these aren't truly paleo is because I used Shakeology which contains grains. However, I feel like the benefits of Shakeology FAR outweigh my concern that it includes grains and it's a much healthier addition than mere cocoa powder or carob powder though if you are looking to make it 100% paleo then these options would work as well.

Fairly high in calories, these make a great snack for something sweet to give you energy! Just be careful to only eat one serving because they're SO good!

Ingredients:
1 T. raw honey (optional but really good!)
3 T. coconut oil
1/4 c. chocolate Shakeology
1/2 c. ground nuts like almonds or hazelnuts (use your food processor to get a meal-like consistency)
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Melt honey and oil in microwave.
2. Add to it the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into parchment lined baking sheet (smaller the better and silicone ones are great for this).
4. Refrigerate couple hours or until hardened.  Makes 4 servings.

Tip: Double your batch and freeze some!

Roasted Garlic "Cheese Fries"

Why shouldn't we have fries on the weekend? I say let's go for it!

These turned out delicious! Not as firm as typical fries but still crunchy and flavorful. And why not dip them in a healthy dressing while you're at it?

Ingredients:
1/2 jicama sliced into 1/4" shoestrings
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. roasted crushed garlic
to taste: seasoned salt, onion powder
1/4 c. nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 375. Toss jicama in a gallon baggie with olive oil and seasonings. Place on parchment lined jelly-roll pan and sprinkle yeast on top. Bake 15 minutes, turn fries over, and bake another 15 or until done to your liking.

Post Reset Food

Still need to coin my own term for my eating style but breakfast this is pretty typical for me now - filling, healthy, balanced, and satisfying!

Darn you GRAINS! And...is Paleo for me?

So, since the reset, I've not been able to reintroduce grains without getting quite an upset stomach. And now that I've thought about it, while I ate grains during Phase 2 of the reset, my stomach was upset too...though at the time, I'd thought it was just the detox supplement. Now, I know better. So, going vegetarian doesn't seem like a plausible option if I eliminate grains... So, now I'm researching the paleo plan. Though should I opt to head that direction, I will still plan on doing at least "meatless Monday" and really focus on all fruits/veggies that day. And I would miss my granola so it's pretty likely that I'll end of with a modified version of something that I'll likely coin my own term for!

And Shakeology is not completely paleo as there are grains included. HOWEVER, it'd be SO worth me keeping it as part of my diet for several reasons. One, is that it tastes awesome. Two, the fruits, veggies, and even some meats today aren't as nutrient rich as they used to be as a result of being produced at such rapid rates so having the added nutrition means a great deal to me. Third, there are plenty of beneficial ingredients that I don't have easy access to putting into my own smoothie. Fourth, it's a filling and fast meal. And finally, it makes me feel good...more energy, better mood, fewer cravings. Enough said!

My Ultimate Reset Results!

Day 21 Last Day of the Ultimate Reset!

Crazy that this is the last day...doesn't seem like I've done this for 3 weeks now but the good part is that on the other hand I'm so used to the meal prep and eating this way that they're definitely habits that I'll stick with. My main concern currently is just how I'll feel not taking the supplements as I can tell they have made a difference. I did not opt to continue having them come automatically so I'll give it a week or so and see how I feel and then possibly order.

Tomorrow I will post measurements, weight totals, etc. as well as concrete before/after differences so look for that!

4 quick phrases for STRIDE workouts

Day 20 Ultimate Reset

I have no reason to stop eating this good! The only thing I need to work through is that my family is used to eating earlier and so I have been eating separately. So I need to start figuring in a more substantial afternoon snack for them. I have not ordered the maintenance supplements but am hearing from other post-resetters that I will really be wanting them so we shall see. I would gladly spend more money to continue feeling great and healthy instead of on doctors later on. Tomorrow I will post a last day video!

STRIDE TRAINING

There are several more to come as well as photos!

Shaun T. STRIDE TRAINING

Today I am attending certification to teach STRIDE...Strength and Tone Real Intense Dance Exercise...loads of fun spending the whole day with Shaun T dancing and doing Insanity type exercises. So after you leave this dance class there is no reason to go lift weights as with some of the other popular dance workouts. I will post a video or two tonight!

Photo of unloading Shaun T. merchandise! Uh oh!

Day 18 Ultimate Reset

Today I weighed myself and though my GOAL is not to lose weight, I'm down another pound during Phase 3! That's over 6% weightloss in 18 days! Stay tuned for some really good tips coming up in a future video!

Day 17 Ultimate Reset!

Day 16 Ultimate Reset

I am still waiting to starve and turn into a demon but I am sleeping so well at night and waking so refreshed that it hasn't happened yet! Just so very anxious to get back to PUMP and Brazil Butt Lift and my chocolate Shakeology!

Day 15 Ultimate Reset

Today is the first day of phase 3 where all grains and legumes are out. So all meals are fruits and veggies.

You will see that I have finally learned to do food prep for the whole week at one time. Should save a lot of effort this last week. I do have a doc put together that tells how much of everything to prep each week so please comment with an email address and I will be happy to send that to you.

Today marked the start of the Optimize supplement as well and I can already actually feel it kicking in with more energy.

This really has been an amazing experience!

Day 14 Ultimate Reset

Not eating anything at Culver's and waiting until I got home for my dinner was SO worth it! MAN, it was good!!! Coconut Collard Greens and Roasted Corn & Edamame Succotash was out of this world!!! I can't wait to have it again! I am so wishing Beachbody would have a huge cookbook - I would pay serious cash for one if all the recipes are as good as these!

I'm down another pound, so now a total of about 6 which for a body that now weighs 103.2 that's a huge loss. I feel great and am actually looking forward to wearing a bikini this summer for the first time in my entire life. I won't be sporting it around town but I've worked this hard so I've gotta take the opportunity.

Tomorrow starts Phase 3 - so I'll be entering a week of all fruits/vegetables. That means that this week's grains and legumes are gone. Not sure how I'll fare on that but we shall see! I've come this far so there's no turnin' back now!

Day 14 Ultimate Reset

Yum! It's kabocha squash soup!

Day 13 Ultimate Reset

MUCH more consistent energy today...yay! More good meals. I had been concerned about the beets as well as salad with no real dressing but it actually was great!

Had a great time with family and friends and a highlight was shopping with my girls and bedtime snuggles with my boy. They are the best....not biased or anything.

So NO EXCUSES TODAY! You can make healthy changes! Let me work with you so you can feel this great too!

Day 12 Ultimate Reset

Tonight's dinner was surprisingly great! My skin is clearing up, my energy level is a little all over the place right now, and I am thinking that some toxins are coming out in the form of wanting to spend money! I guess since I am not automatically reaching for food I am doing the next most comforting thing so that's being kept in check!

This is a very different process as you do focus a lot of mental energy on the reset versus simply doing a workout and then it is done for the day. I am trying hard to balance this with family duties as well as coaching activities.

So far it's been a very positive experience and I am looking forward to saying that phase 2 is complete...2 more days!

Day 9 Ultimate Reset

This was my dinner at small group last night while everyone else was eating Little Caesars pizza and breadsticks. Mine looked and tasted so good that I actually felt a tad guilty eating it in front of them! In NO way did I feel like I was missing out and I guarantee that I feel better today than they do! In fact, Matt actually just texted me and said he is craving fatty/salty stuff.....need I give you more proof that good nutrition works?

Yesterday I felt sluggish as a result of getting little sleep during this cleansing week. However, I was blessed to lay down for 15 minutes now and feel like a million bucks. In my previous life, I would've gotten up and eaten something regardless of whether I was hungry because it in"helped me wake up." Now I see that I don't need that nor am I craving it.

Day 8 Ultimate Reset

It was another yummy day in UltimateResetLand! I have felt a little more tired today and it could have been from being too busy yesterday. Am up too late tonight but couldn't resist getting an update on here. Went to the dermatologist today who said my skin did look clearer as a result of my eating this week and even showed me how she had printed out Michi's Ladder from the Beachbody website to give to her clients! I love Beachbody and all that it stands for.

Fridge on Day 1 and Ultimate Reset Meals from Phase (week) 1. MAN! I have never had SUCH great food! And I cook all the time, have over 90 cookbooks, and read all-things cooking for a hobby. I have been so very impressed and am hoping that there'll be a follow-up cookbook and/or mealplan because I feel so amazing that I don't want to stop! HOWEVER, I think my portion sizes my decrease this coming week so we shall see if I change my tune! LOL

I am excited and a tad anxious to head into Phase 2 tomorrow. I have been feeling so energetic and powerful (in terms of sticking to the plan) that I don't want that to fade. My weight has dropped 4.5 pounds in the past week and I'm seeing more definition in my abdominal area and less puffiness in the hips so that's exciting. Feels weird not to be exercising daily as well. My initial bloodwork numbers came back all really positive and healthy so there may not be too much of a change there but I did take before photos including ones of my acne so hopefully that'll clear up in the next couple weeks too and I can post afters along with the befores.

And stay with me here...I'm posting two videos. The first is my first-ever self-recorded video and it's really pitiful as I'd just woken up in the morning. The second is only slightly better! So live and learn!

SUPER SATURDAY APRIL 2012 - AWESOME workout, sipping shakes with my pal, Chelly, super training with Arnauld, and meeting several people who've lost over 100 pounds each taking the Beachbody Challenge! SO motivating!

Day 2 Ultimate Reset

I woke up this morning with my joints feeling a little creaky but not painful and excited to try more great meals! And I have! Breakfast this morning was a tasty combination that I wouldn't have tried otherwise...1 cup of oatmeal and a cup of blueberries mixed with plain yogurt sweetened with stevia. I may have had these separately but decided to mix them and it was delicious.

Now for lunch I have a Greek chicken salad. The salad dressings so far have been AMAZING! And I get 2 tbsp so I don't feel at all like I am skimping.

Breakfast day 1 Ultimate Reset

2 slices whole grain bread, kale, and 2 scrambled eggs
Super yummy and filling!

Day 3/30 Nutrition Bootcamp

Today’s tip is from the Beachbody Step-by-step nutrition guide:  uh, oh….you knew it had to come at some point so I might as well get it over with on day three and say PORTION CONTROL! J 

Don’t eat until you are full; eat until you’re not hungry. If eating out, eat only half of what the chef gives you. Have the waiter go ahead and box half up before even bring your plate out to you. It’s not rocket science here…make sure you eat fewer calories than you burn. If you need help determining this, there are a number of options but I’ve found the Bodybugg or MediaFit armband to be the most accurate. Until you’re able to get one of these type things, I’d recommend logging your  nutrition on myfitnesspal.com (totally free and unrelated to Beachbody…however, Team Beachbody is working on getting a meal logging program set up on our website!).

 You can friend me on myfitnesspal and even adjust your privacy settings to allow me to see your food logs for accountability purposes.  Just let me know what your username is though so that I know it’s you! Another suggestion is to keep your metabolism guessing by figuring up how many calories you need for the WEEK and then eating them varied each day. For example, you may have 1200 one day, 1500 the next, instead of having 1300 each day. 

Pre-Ultimate Reset Thoughts...

So today I had my cholesterol checked and I'm about as healthy on those terms as one could get. Good thing my goal with the Ultimate Reset is not to lower my cholesterol! Although, I have to say that I did tell the doctor that part of me wished I would have high cholesterol just so that I would have a really good before/after story! However, my goals for the ultimate reset are to feel more energetic by day's end, feel like I have the willpower to avoid temptations in social settings that could create a downfall for me, decrease gas/bloating, and hopefully clear up my skin. 

I'm excited to embark on this journey...will be completely new and different for me! Thanks Emily Ferree for doing it with me and am thankful to the other coaches and Beachbody customers online who will be supporting me these 21 days to come! 

Day 2/30: Today’s tip is on Water and taken from the Les Mills PUMP nutrition guide – drink half of your body weight in ounces of distilled water (flat or sparkling as long as it’s calorie free) each day (minimum of 64oz.) To do this, feel free to add lemon, limes, oranges, strawberry, kiwi, cucumber slices, frozen grapes, a dash of fruit juice, mint leaves, basil, grated ginger, rosemary or even create your own raspberry mint ice cubes by filling an ice try with fresh raspberries and mint leaves!   Don’t forget that sometimes when you think you’re hungry you’re actually thirsty!!               

                                A couple water recipes from the PUMP nutrition guide:         

                               -Ice water with a few watermelon cubes and strawberry slices    

                               -Ice water with a lemon slice and torn basil leaves

Day 1/30 Nutrition Challenge

Welcome Nutrition Bootcampers! So today's tip actually has NOTHING to do with nutrition but it has EVERYTHING to do with it! 

As I listened to a national coach call this weekend from the head of Success magazine, Darren Hardy, he had TONS of good things to say that will greatly impact every area of life including your health and nutrition.

Many years ago someone told Hardy, "If you want to HAVE more, you have to BECOME more." For things to change, YOU have to change. Work harder on yourself than on your job and that's the secret to success. So, for our purposes, work harder on filling your brain with positive, life-changing information and your bootcamp will be more successful. 

Each person has a success set point. And you will never have greater nutrition, fitness, make more $, be smarter, etc. than your set point. For example, lotto winners that then blow all of it have a low success set point and allow self-sabotaging behavior to lose their winnings. Likewise, those who lose weight and gain it back have a set point that’s too low.  So, it's imperative to raise your set point by focusing on personal development. 

Personal development guru and motivator, Brian Tracy, says that the ROI (return on investment) of personal development is 3000%. Breaking it down, for each $1 you spend on your personal development he believes that it will return $30 and this is what Darren Hardy firmly agrees with as he's seen it prove true in his life. And this is why high world-class achievers hire personal development mentors. He recommends tithing your first 10% earnings and using the next 10% on personal development. 

Luckily for you in bootcamp that are coaches, you now have access to ALL of Success Magazine as well as its archives in your coach online back office (far right tab). You should be getting a MINIMUM of 10 minutes of personal development time each day. Pull it up on your phone before you start your car so you can listen, if you go on a trip check cd's out from the library, pull it up on your laptop and listen as you get ready in the morning. If successful people can do it, there's no reason we can't either! I find that pulling it up on my computer and listening while I prep meals works well for me. 

If you have big dreams, make sure that the size of your personal development matches the size of your dreams. And if you don't have big dreams then GET SOME!!!! :)

"ee eens"

My beauty already wants earrings like her big "Cici" and mommy. These are clip-ons I had.