Parents are on board

YAYYY I signed my Dad up for Shakeology last night. I signed him up for home direct because he got 2 free workouts and free shipping. My mom was VERY lenient about this is asked me not to but I told her if he didn't like it after 2 weeks I would cancel it for her. It's too much of a better deal not too. I made a greenberry shake for them to try last night. I dug around in their cupboards and found 100% cranberry juice to use as a mixer.

Greenberry Cranberry Shakeology

1 scoop of ice

1/2 c of water

1/2 c of cranberry juice

Dads reaction: mmm yeah I could drink that

Mom's reaction: mmmm that's good

Liam's reaction: wouldn't stop drinking it

To be completey honest they are not as excited as I am about Shakeology. They do believe the product is good for you because my mom watches Dr. Oz and noticed that all the ingredients he tells you to eat to live to 120 are in the shake. For them, their hesitation is completely about the price. Which is completely understandable. You have to look at the big picture. Shakeology is a meal replacement. Now imagine if you will what it costs to get a meal, or some of us, a Starbucks. Just about the same. The exception is, Shakeology is good for you! Starbucks will fill you up with caffeine and sugar. Fast food will fill you up with fat, and huge amounts of calories. If you take a look at Shakeology from the meal perspective, and that it’s improving your fitness and nutrition, I think you will find that the price is fair, and also in the same ball park as what you would spend for lunch, a meal, or Starbucks.

If you have been thinking about signing up for the Beachbody Club, you can save 10% and pay only, $107.95. Ask me if you have questions about that. And if you’ve been considering becoming a Beachbody coach, you can save 25%, and pay only $89.86!

Their hesitation is fine though as long as they are willing to try it because I believe once they try it, they will believe it for themselves. My dad has committed to drink it for 30 days and exercise at least 3 days a week. He is still doing the Atkins diet which I when his Shakeology arrives I will be making a new meal plan for him to follow. I think he will find that it is a lot easier to follow. He is also going to take before pictures and measurments. I can't wait to see his progress.

I found a way!

Ok so my bag of greenberry Shakeology was starting to accumulate some dust. My friend Holly has been ranting and raving about how much more energy she has since she committed to drinking it everyday. I attended a webinar where a nurse talked about the benefits of Shakeology. She did a wonderful job because after the webinar I was dusting of my bag of greenberry Shakeology and ready to give it another try. Actually, while I was listening I was thinking of all the people I know who this could really help. Hence, both my parents are signing up tonight for it :) My mom has had really low energy levels and would like to tone up doing the Shakeology workouts. My dad is currently on the Atkins diet (boo from me), he is also trying to lose weight without working out :) I am going to try to convince him he can do at least 3 days a week of either the Shakeology DVDs or P90. I will keep you updated on their progress.

So anyways, the reason my Shakeology was collecting dust was because I hadn't found a recipe that I liked yet. Holly drinks her with 8 ounces of cold water. That's it. I tried that and managed to drink 5 gulps before dumping it down the drain. I was very discouraged because this drink is very expensive and it tasted awful!!! However, after the webinar it got me thinking about all the benefits of it and how I coulnd't just give up on it. So I tried the chocolate flavor the next day. I happened to be going to an ultrasound appointment so I had to drink it with water in the car. You know what? It wasn't bad! It went down a little slow but I was able to drink the whole thing. Day 3 of trying Shakeology I noticed I had more energy so I was kind of excited to try it again. Holly had sent me an email earlier in the day with different suggestions to spice up your Shakeology. Some of the ideas are crystal light, orange juice, and instant pudding mix in particular the cheesecake flavor. Hmmmm...so I decided I was going to try the greenberry flavor again. I was not looking forward to this drink. I poked in my cupboards and I found the little crystal light packets you can dump into your water bottle. I happened to have the Crystal Light immunity on the go Cherry Pomegranate flavor. I dumped a whole packet in my blender, 1 scoop of ice, 1 cup of water, and 1 scoop of greenberry shakeology. IT WAS REALLY GOOD!!! I was so shocked and happy that I really truly enjoyed drinking it. Next time I will probably only use 1/2 a packet or less because it was really really sweet. I put it in a a fancy cup and pretended I was lounging by the pool enjoying life. I have committed to drinking it everyday for 30 days and I've already noticed I have more energy. If you've tried Shakeology before and didn't care for it try it again. It may surprise you!

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Back from vacation

It feels so good to be home. I am trying to get everything unpacked and put away. It's been a long process so far. We were gone for 16 days so I'm trying to have patience and not stress out that my house looks like a zoo. That's one of todays goals:

1. Clean house

2. Play outside

3. Teach Balls & Weights today

4. Drink Shakeology - Day 2 (I've committed everyday for at least 30 days)

5. Stir fry for dinner

6. Sign my Dad up for Shakeology & P90

We had a wonderful trip. We spent some time in Disney World and then a few days in Phoenix, AZ. It is so nice to get back into your normal routine though. I taught my fitness class on Monday and I thought it was going to be brutal. It was very hard, but only because I made it that way :) It felt so good to be exercising again. The girls were all recharged from a break and ready to get back at it. We did a lot of the Brazilian Butt exercises and my butt is still sore today. Another thing I missed being on vacation was cooking. I am very excited to start eating clean again. So far we have had white bean apple chili for dinner and tonight is chicken stir fry. The chicken stir fry is great because you have the chicken as your lean protein and it's packed with fresh vegetables. The difficult part is going to be making a sauce that is not packed with sugar and tastes good. I'll let you know.

No More Sugar for Ellen

No More Sugar for Ellen

I love Ellen! She's my guilty pleasure each day I can sneak her in. Click the link above to hear her talk about giving up sugar in her diet. Sugar is evil. I've always thought that. It's like a drug. In fact, it is some people's drug of choice. It used to be mine. Now I eliminate it whenever I can. I no longer put sugar in my food or coffee. I use agave nectar for cooking and in my coffee. It's delicious and it's all natural! I can't make the commitment right now to eliminate sugar completely from my diet but I can try to eliminate it whenever possible. This is just a short list why you should make a conscious decision to eliminate sugar from your diet whenever you can.

Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:

Sugar can suppress the immune system. Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance. Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children. Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs). Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs). Sugar can cause hypoglycemia. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection. Sugar can cause kidney damage. Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency. Sugar can cause copper deficiency. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium. Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose. Sugar can promote tooth decay. Sugar can produce an acidic stomach. Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease. Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair. Sugar can increase total cholesterol. Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Sugar can contribute to diabetes. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity. Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease. Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure. Sugar causes food allergies. Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children. Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries. Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver. Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in thekidney. Sugar can cause depression. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance. Sugar can cause hypertension. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly. Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes. Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets. Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.

Eating Out at Olive Garden

I went out to eat at Olive Garden probably 4 months ago. It was not my first choice because when you think Olive Garden you think bread sticks, pasta, creamy white sauce, and salad loaded with a high fat dressing. I was very surprised to find that they had a healthy dish there called Grilled Apricot chicken with asparagus and brocolli. It was very yummy! I kept the apricot sauce on mine because I"m not in super duper training mode with a baby girl on the way. However, after I have this baby I will be eating clean 110% so I would ask them for no sauce, or to put the sauce on the side. I didn't have any breadsticks or anything extra. This was a lunch date, had it been for dinner I probably would have got the Minestrone soup to go along with my meal. I left very satifified and with no regret!

My point to all this rambling is you can always "clean up" your meal in a restaurant.

Select foods which are:

• Steamed
• Garden fresh
• Broiled
• Baked
• Roasted
• Poached
• Lightly sauteed or stir-fried
• Ask for double veggies instead of a carb such as mashed potato or rice.
• Try to stay away from the bread bowl even it's calling out your name.