21 Days To A Healthier YOU!

Do you know why the typical DIETS do not work? I do. They set you up to fail because you constantly worry about what "wrong foods" you might eat. You have to worry about calorie counting while also ensuring that you are eating the correct amount of each nutrient group. Did you get that workout in? Was it effective? Do you know what type of exercise will give you the best results for the goals  you want to achieve? With typical diets there is no direction - just a stab in the dark and hope that it works out and the pounds start to fall off at some point. Sounds exhausting doesn't it?

Did you know it takes 21 days to make a habit?? Did you know that in that same 21 days, I can COACH you to a healthy and fit LIFESTYLE? And I would love to do just that!!

In October, I will be coaching a FALL INTO FITNESS group through 21 DAY FIX, a program focused on simple nutrition, simple exercise, and AWESOME results. There will be no counting, no guessing, and no wondering. It will be filled with ALL kinds of direction - what you should eat each day, recipes, grocery shopping tips, and what workout you should do each day. 

It is an easy-to-follow portion controlled meal plan and one 30-minute workout per day. That's all. If you are serious about seeing results, I am serious about helping you achieve them!

If you would like more information about my October Fall into Fitness Group, please fill out the form below. Feel free to comment on the blog post as well.

Simple Nutrition. Simple Fitness. AWESOME Results.

Lean and Clean Baked Ziti

If you are looking for a cheap, quick way to feed your family tonight this Baked Ziti is your answer. It is so easy to make and it makes A LOT - fills a 13 X 9 baking pan to the brim! My husband and I are able to eat on it for a couple of days. Try it out and let me know what you think below in the comments!!

*recipe is courtesy of The Gracious Pantry

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta, cooked
• 1 1/2 pounds lean, ground turkey or ground round
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, no sodium is best
• 1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, cook the turkey meat in the olive oil (or brown the ground round - drain)
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, honey, vinegar, water and tomato sauce.
3. Add the cooked pasta and the cooked meat to the tomato sauce and mix well.
4. Transfer to a baking dish and top with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 350 F. for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Beef Stew

Fall is here! It is time to break out my all-time favorite stew!! Below is the recipe to the BEST beef stew. It is so good I have to share it. I usually add my own flare to my recipes, but this one is good without adding anything to it!! I hope you enjoy it! Share what you think in the comments below!

Ingredients:
1½ lb. raw lean beef stew meat, boneless
1½ medium onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
½ to 1 cup low-sodium organic beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1 bay leaf
½ medium green bell pepper, chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
 
Preparation:
1. Place beef, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, hot sauce, 1/2 cup broth, and bay leaf in large saucepot.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 40 minutes, adding additional broth as needed.
3. Add bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes; cook, covered, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened and beef is fork tender.

What Is Cholesterol, What Are the Different Types of Cholestol and How YOU Can Make It Better?

What is Cholesterol? The Mayo Clinic defines cholesterol as "a waxy substance that's found in the fats (lipids) in your blood. While your body needs cholesterol to continue building healthy cells, having high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease." 

You may have heard your doctor use the term "high cholesterol." When you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. The deposits become like plaque and begin to build up on your artery walls. Because of this, your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which unfortunately increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.

So, here is the question, is cholesterol bad for you? The answer is two-fold - yes and no. Your body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly, but as always, everything in moderation. There are actually 2 different types of cholesterol - LDL and HDL. 

LDL is the "bad cholesterol." This is they type of cholesterol that, if it is in excess, will build on your artery walls causing blockage and can also cause problems such as heart disease and stroke. The higher your LDL is, the higher your risk of heart disease or stroke.

HDL is the "good cholesterol." HDL carries excess cholesterol (bad cholesterol) away from the heart and back to the liver to be broken down. Therefore, the higher your HDL is, the lower your LDL is and the better off  you are.

Now lies the question, if you have high cholesterol how do you lower your LDL and raise your HDL? A great way to do this is through the food you eat. You should eat fewer foods that contain high LDL and eat more foods that contain higher HDL. (And as always, consult your doctor for specific instructions.)

Foods that contain high LDL typically have a high amount of trans fats. Trans fats are formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. If that isn't enough to scare you away from highly processed foods, I don't know what will. To name a few, foods that are high in trans fats are cakes, cookies, chips, fried foods, canned biscuits, frozen pizza, creamer, and margarine. 

Now let's look at good sources of HDL. According to the Mayo Clinic the following 4 foods are great sources for HDL:

• Foods high in Soluable Fiber
• Oatmeal
• Kidney Beans 
• Apples
• Pears
• Barley
• Prunes
• Fish and Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Mackeral
• Lake Trout
• Herring
• Sardines
• Salmon
• Albacore Tuna
• Raw Nuts (no salt or sugar coating)
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Pecans
• Hazelnuts
• Pistachios
• Olive Oil

Be sure to read your food labels while you are grocery shopping. Pay attention not only to the nutritional information, but also to the ingredients!!

Cinnamon Strawberry Shakeology

I LOVE drinking Shakeology for breakfast! Not only does it fuel my body with 8 DIFFERENT NUTRIENT GROUPS, but it tastes awesome EVERYDAY. It gives me the start to my morning that I need, gives me energy and keeps my eat habits on track. I changed things up a bit today and tried a new recipe. Introducing Cinnamon Strawberry Shakeology!! I am not a huge fan of the taste of strawberry, but this was delish!! If you are a strawberry lover, you will definitely LOVE this recipe! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below! Don't have any Shakeology, comment below (or utilize my "Contact Me" Tab) and I will help set you up with the HEALTHIEST MEAL OF YOUR DAY!

Zucchini Rounds

Zucchini Rounds are one of mine and my husbands favorite side dishes! I not only love them because they are good for us and they taste GREAT, but they are so quick and simple to make! I made these just the other day when I was in a jam. We were having company over and I needed one more side dish, quick! I ran to the grocery store on my way home from work, grabbed some zucchini (I already had everything else) and whipped them up in a flash. They were a huge hit!

So, how do I make them?? See below for the recipe and what the finished product should look like.


Ingredients:
3 medium Zucchini
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
Dash of salt and pepper


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice the zucchini. The slices should be between 1/8" and 1/4" thick.
3. In a large bowl. Combine the zucchini slices and olive oil. Stir until all the zucchini slices have been coated on both sides with the olive oil.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
5. Coat each zucchini slice well (on both sides) with the bread crumb mixture.
6. Spray a cookie sheet with Olive Oil Spray.
7. Spread the zucchini rounds on the cookie sheet. Be sure none are touching.
8. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumb mixture over the zucchini rounds.
9. Bake until the rounds turn golden brown. Test with a fork to make sure the rounds are tender.
10. Enjoy!!!