Halloween Candy Payday

As much as I love watching Dayton trick-or-treat, I don't love all the candy in my house. I mean, do you know me? Don't worry, we all ate some and we let Dayton pick out his favorites.

I had heard rumors that there was a dentist in town who would buy back Halloween candy, pay the kids for it, and then box it all up and send it to the troops! Um...yes please!

So I took the boys down to that dentist and we sold all of Dayton's candy. He had about 2 pounds of candy, so he earned $6! Can you tell he was excited about it? What I should of done was taken a picture about how excited I was about it.

"Crotein" Shake

If you haven't noticed, we're all about a healthy lifestyle over here. I am incredibly passionate about nutrition. It fascinates me!

When we got pregnant with Dayton, I was even more concerned about nutrition for my baby's sake. I ate all organic meats and produce and tried to keep an incredibly clean diet. I stayed about 80/20 (80% clean and 20% cheats). This is how we normally eat, but the biggest difference was switching almost completely over to organic products. I have read way too much about what the chemicals and shady ingredients in today's food can do to your body - but I'll save that for another day.

As the years have gone by, my passion hasn't changed. As my kiddos grow older and I learn more each day, my passion for nutrition continues to grow. Dayton, my 2.5 year old, is a bottomless pit. That boy is going to eat us out of house and home! Seriously. Each meal is followed by, "I want somptin else, please!" (The hubs and I still smirk at "somptin".) I wanted to find something that would satiate his hunger, would provide added nutrition, and placate my desires for healthy snacking.

Introducing KidzShake. KidzShake is a nutritious protein powder filled with other goodies like

• probiotics (good gut bacteria)
• organic protein (builds muscles and keeps you full!)
• vitamin C (growth and repair of tissue)
• magnesium (bone strength and development)
• calcium (cardiovascular and nervous system health, bone strength)
• potassium (regulates fluids, minerals, and blood pressure)
• vitamin D (helps absorb calcium - bone health)
• B vitamins (convert food to fuel)
• fiber (balances blood sugar levels and improves digestion).

Ummm, yes, I'll take them all. Here's all of my money. Ha! No, but seriously. This protein shake designed for kids is exactly what I was looking for. (Thanks @beyondfitmom for the recommendation!) Obviously, I ordered one and was excited for Dayton to try it. 

I ended up deciding on the strawberry. You can mix strawberry with all kinds of fruit flavored smoothies and I knew Dayton wouldn't have any problem drinking something fruity. The first time I gave it to him, I mixed it with some milk and put it in his cup. He gulped it down in no time! It was a huge hit. *mom cheers!* 

Now, Dayton asks for his "crotein shake" on the regular. And this mama is all too happy to give it to him. Oh, you want a protein shake? Suuuure, here you go kiddo! #iwin. 

The kiddo is happy. Mama is happy. And daddy is happy because it fits in the budget AND Dayton gets to drink "crotein shakes" like daddy. All around win. Do I have you convinced yet?

What I Believe...

One of my favorite blogs is "He and She Eat Clean." I love their clean eating recipes and motivational blog! Recently, I discovered one of the personal blogs of one of the authors ~ @Tiffany Staples. Her blog is such a good read for faith, training, and fit mommy hood!

She wrote a post about what she believes about our faith, training, and her body. I could not have said it better. Tiffany, I am giving you all of the credit on this one! I could not have written his as well as you, so I am quoting you! Every word that she says is how I feel about training, my faith, and my husband!

What I Believe...
"First and foremost, I believe Jesus Christ is Lord. He was created in the image of God, came to this Earth to spread the gospel and paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sins, your sins and the sins of others when he was crucified on the cross, buried and rose to ascend to Heaven to his rightful seat next to God.

I also believe that my body is precious. I am perfectly made by God to what HE wanted me to be. I MUST be cognizant of the fact that I cannot permanently change certain things about my body as in eye color, height, etc but I MUST also understand that the body He gave me is a gift. A gift that I must take care of by working out physically to be as healthy as he intended for me to be, to reveal what he intended for me to look like and for me to have the strength and physical ability to carry out His work.

My body is not only my gift - it is also my husband's. Although I see nothing wrong with taking pictures of a body that I have worked hard to possess, I understand that my body is a gift for my husband to view, privately. On my site, you will NOT see any nude or implied nudity photographs or in any way make sexual gestures or references in photographs. I WILL inspire women with my physical accomplishments but will NOT compromise my Christian integrity to do so.

With all of this said, please understand that my feelings and convictions are MINE. They may not be yours and I respect that and I love that about YOU! I will be your biggest cheerleader, but please understand that I may not want to partake in the same activities/actions you are. Please be respectful in return."

Ah! See? Perfect. Our beliefs are ours. We don't "look down" on anyone else for how they live their lives and we ask that no one "judge" us for ours. We trust that God gave us this passion of fitness and nutrition to inspire others and glorify Him. We respect every one's feelings as their own and would not "push" ours on anyone else, but if we can help anyone with fitness and  nutrition then we are more than happy to help!

First 5k!...of this year

I. Love. to. Run. Love, love, love it. Races are even better. The atmosphere, the challenge, the people, the adrenaline rush. I love it. I'm a pretty competitive person, so races are always fun for me! I have run in quite a few 5k's and 10k's, so my goal this year is to run a Half Marathon. I looked for a few half marathons in other cities that would be fun to travel too (Kansas City ;) , St. Louis), but because of everything going on this year we decided I would run one here! So my half marathon is scheduled for September 7th! Woohoo!

Greenville had a plethora of races to run in as well as the surrounding areas. I was a little worried when we moved up here, that there wouldn't be as many opportunities for races. Well, boy was I wrong! Trekman racing is based in Cedar Falls and hosts most of the races around here...and there are tons!!

The first race we registered for and ran in was the "Fool's 5k" this past weekend. It was so much fun! The race was Mardi Gras/April Fools themed. We registered for the race back in February due to the amount of people who were registering. The race filled up by early March! This was such a fun race. It started at 9:00 am, which was nice (not too early). The race was at the George Wyth State Park in Waterloo and was a nice flat 3.1 mile run! I couldn't believe how many people showed up (over 1, 300-a record for Trekman racing) and they were all dressed up! Some people took the Mardi Gras theme to a whole new level - we saw people in pj's, men in tutu's, kids wearing body suits, people dressed as super heroes, and one woman was wearing a wedding dress and a wig! It was pretty...interesting.

We did pretty well. Brad had only run with me 3 times the week before the race, but he ran the whole thing without stopping at all. I pushed the pace a little, but we ran together the whole time. Our time was 26:15. A little slow for me, but we had fun and enjoyed the run together! Here are a few pictures from the race!

It was pretty windy that day! but not too cold :)

So much fun!! The next race we are doing together is May 6th! We are running in the Furry 5k, which means...yep! The pups are running with us! I think Beth and Gene are going to come up with Gracie and Lexi and run with us! The Cedar Bend Humane Society (where we adopted Abe from) is helping host this run. You can even "adopt" a pet for the day and run with them! Isn't that sweet?!? I can't wait!

"Italian Stallion" Chicken ~ Clean Eating

They did it again. The "cooks" over at "He and She Eat Clean" came up with another delicious, chicken clean eating recipe. I'm telling you...I love these guys! We have been eating some fabulous clean eating meals at lunch time - all prepped on Sunday - thanks to the recipes on this blog!

Brad and I really liked the seasoning of this chicken. It had a lot more "spice" flavor than the Salsa Chicken (here) did. We usually add whole grain crackers, sprouted grain bread, or brown rice to this dish. Even if you don't want to add carbs, this recipe is yummy on it's own!

"Italian Stallion Chicken"

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 5 medium tomatoes
• 3/4 cup chopped onion (we use Vidalia/Sweet)
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp honey

Dry Ingredients/Spices:

• 1 Tbsp basil
• 1 Tbsp thyme
• 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp bay leaves

Directions:
1.  Mix all ingredients (not including the chicken breasts) together in a blender/food processor (must hold at least 5 cups) and blend for about 30 seconds until ingredients are mixed well.
2.  Place blended pasta sauce in sauce pan and simmer on low/medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until sauce takes on a thicker consistency and a dark shade of red.
3.  Mix chicken breasts and pasta sauce in crock pot and cook on low heat for at least 7 hours.
4.  After 7 hours, you will notice the sauce looks very runny, this is normal.  Remove crock pot from heating base, shred chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula and as it cools, the shredded chicken will absorb the juices from the pasta sauce.

*Side Note: Yet again, the Pinterest idea worked! Shredded chicken in my Kitchen Aid. So easy...so perfect!

Nutritional Information: 

• Calories: 160
• Fat: 2g
• Carbs: 2g
• Protein: 36g

Happy clean eating!

You Should...Eat 5 Meals A Day

5 meals a day...How can that be good for you?

Well, who said we should eat 3 meals a day? This "tradition" was created by society, not the demands of our body. When you eat your full caloric intake for the day in 3 meals, you are packing it in! Research also shows that you will eat more calories in those 3 meals than if you spread them out into 5 meals throughout the day.

Here's a thought...How often to babies eat? They eat about every 2-3 hours. Shouldn't you be doing the same?

Think of it this way: calories fuel our body. When you consume a bunch of calories and then have to wait 4-5 hours before your body can have more energy, you feel tired and energetic. If you supply your body with calories (i.e. energy) every 2-3 hours, you create a steady stream of energy, so you won't feel as tired.

Eating 5 meals a day can also help you lose weight! Most people eat in between their meals because they are bored or hungry, but then they consume the same amount of calories at each of the 3 meals like normal. Spreading your meals out throughout the day helps curb your cravings because you are eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of waiting until the next meal.

Eating 5 meals a day is also necessary for those of you who are working out and building muscle. This also means that you need to eat a source of protein during each meal to rebuild the muscle that you have broken down during your workout.

Eating 5 meals a day will also increase your metabolism. You teach your body what to do. If you teach your body to eat 3 meals a day, that is what it will expect. If you teach your body to eat 5 meals a day, your body will expect to become hungry before your next meal. As you increase your food intake and decrease the time between meals, your body will learn to process the food faster so that it will be hungry for the next meal, therefore, increasing your metabolism.

Obviously, eating 5 meals a day takes time, preparation, and dedication/training. It's not easy to teach your body to eat 5 times a day, especially after you have been eating 3 times a day for years. You also need to be eating healthy foods to supply your body with good energy. Protein is a "belly filler." Protein at each meal will help you stay full until the next meal. Veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and protein are an important part of training your body to eat more and smaller meals.

You Should...Chia Seeds

Ever hear of Chia Seeds? If you have heard the term before, you might be thinking..."Chia Pet! Ch..Ch...Ch...Chia!" Well, you're in luck...you're right!

What are Chia seeds?
~Chia seeds are actually a flowering plant in the mint family. They are grown in Mexico and Guatemala.

Why should I add Chia seeds to my diet and meals?
~Chia seeds have many health benefits. They are listed below! Chia seeds...

• are a great source of Omega-3. They actually contain the highest amount of Omega-3 from a plant source. I know you've heard about Omega-3 before, right?!? They help protect against inflammation and heart disease, so eat up!
• assist in controlling blood sugar. Ever feel woozy or tired? You're blood sugar probably dropped. Chia seeds help slow down the process of converting carbs into simple sugar, so they help regulate good blood sugar levels.
• help maintain weight loss. Yep, chia seeds actually block some (not all) of the calories that you ingest.
• keep you feeling fuller, longer. Chia seeds absorb 8-10x's their weight in water, turning to a gelatinous texture. This takes your body a little longer to digest and keeps your metabolism high.
• increase energy levels. Chia seeds are a good source of plat protein and nutrients.
• are high in antioxidants. Chia seeds are so high in antioxidants that no chemicals or preservatives are needed to maintain their freshness for 2 years at room temperature! Hello younger looking skin and a more youthful you! Talk about a power food!
• help lower blood pressure. Chia seeds are high in fiber. This can help reduce blood pressure levels.

How do I eat Chia seeds?
~It doesn't matter how you eat Chia seeds. Add them to a protein shake, add them to what you bake, add them in yogurt, etc. Eat them and reap the benefits!

What is the nutritional value of Chia seeds?

205.5 calories, 108 calories from fat

13.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat

0g cholesterol

7.5mg sodium

18g carbohydrates, 16.5g fiber, 0 sugars

6g protein

Vitamin A - 0%, Vitamin C - 0%, Calcium - 27% (Wow!), Iron - 0%

 

Where can you buy Chia seeds?

~You can buy Chia seeds in most organic or Whole Foods stores. If you don't have a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or other health food stores, check out the organic section in your regular grocery store. If that fails, you can order them online through many sources.

You Should...Avocados

If you love avocados like I do, then this post will make you one happy person! Avocados are a nutrient packed, fatty fruit that help with your waistline and many other important body parts. The fat that is in avocados is a healthy, dietary fat that does the body good.

 You should add avocados to your diet because they...

• build muscle. One of the functions of dietary fat includes the production of testosterone. The production of testosterone triggers muscle growth.
• strengthen bone. Dietary fat also produces estrogen, which is a bone-building hormone.One cup of avocado slices also provides 44 milligrams of magnesium, a mineral essential to bone health.
• help your heart. The best fat for cardiovascular health is monounsaturated fats, and avocados happen to be the only fruit that is high with these healthy fats. Avocados also contain potassium, which
  work to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• keep you slim. Healthy fats promote feeling full in between meals and snacks.Control your hunger, and you can reach your goals faster.
• protect your eyes. Yep, avocados protect your eyes from age-related vision diseases.
• optimize food power. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are found in vegetables like tomatoes, spinach, and carrots. Your body needs a little bit of healthy fat to absorb all that vitamin goodness. Avocados increase the absorption of these beneficial nutrients.

Cardio: What's all of the Fuss About?

Cardio, cardio cardio...now that's a love/hate relationship. We all know it's good for us, but why? We all know we should be doing it, but what is it doing for us? Hopefully, I can provide some answers below.

If you're a runner, like me, cardio isn't much of a problem for you. Running is my "me" time. Brad laughs because when I start running, I zone out...completely. As in, glazed over eyes, robot movements, no brain activity zoned out. I love it. Running is the one (or two) times of the day when I don't think. It's when I literally, run all of my stress off. Cardio has never been a problem for me.

However, not everyone is like me. If you hate cardio (and tons of people do), maybe reading the following will help you get up and "get at it". The following information has been collected from various resources.

What is cardio?
~Cardio is the act of physical activity that increases your heart rate.  It is aerobic (exercise that improves the efficiency of the body's cardiovascular system in absorbing and transporting oxygen).


What are the types of cardio?
~There are 2 types of cardio: 1) Low-intensity cardio and 2) High-intensity cardio.

• Low-intensity cardio is physical activity that raises your heart rate minimally. 
• Low-intensity cardio raises your heart rate between 40-60 percent of your maximum heart rate.
• This kind of cardio burns mostly fat. 
• Low-intensity cardio is also good for building muscular endurance.
• It also helps control your appetite.
• Types of Low-intensity cardio include: walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, treadmill, and elliptical training at a lower rate.
• High-intensity cardio is physical activity that raises your heart rate significantly.
•  High-intensity cardio burns more calories than it does fat. However, exhausting more calories leads to greater fat loss in the long run.
• A high-intensity workout is determined by your fitness level, which means it will vary for each individual.
•  Types of High-intensity cardio include: running, cycling, elliptical training, and interval training.

Why is cardio so important?
~Cardio is important because it strengthens your heart and therefore it does not have to work as hard to pump blood through your body.

Your heart is pumping blood through your body ALL day and night. Cardio helps strengthen your heart muscles. If you have a strong heart, it does not have to work as hard while pumping blood through your body. Cardio actually helps your heart! That should be reason enough.

How much cardio should you be doing each day? How intense?
~ The AHA recommends 30 minutes of cardio each day. Beginners should start at 20 minutes per day and more advanced training can include 60 minutes of cardio per day. Your cardio can also be broken up throughout the day, such as 15 minutes jogging in the morning and 15 minutes biking at night.

Cardio should be performed at moderate intensity. A person's heart rate should be elevated during cardio. According to ACE, cardio exercise should be performed at about 50 to 85 percent of a person's maximum effort.

The best time of day to do cardio is in the morning, before you have eaten. Your body is more likely to use fat as its energy source. If you're concerned about muscle loss, tale 15-25 grams of whey protein before your morning cardio.

*Now, get out there and get it done! Help your heart and your health!

7 Day Drink Cleanse

It's time. The "honeymoon" stage is over at our house and it's time to crack down on our diet and food intake. Brad and I eat clean Monday through Friday. Saturday is our cheat day and Sunday is somewhere in between. Brad and I both decided it's time to get back to business as far as kicking our butts in the gym and cleaning up our eating.

I like to kick-start my clean eating by doing a cleanse. This recipe is from Jillian Michaels. This recipe helps flush out the excess water weight. Depending on how much extra water you're carrying, you can lose 5-7 pounds using this cleanse. The last time I used this recipe, I lost 5 pounds in about 6 days.

The drink tastes more like lemon water than anything else. It takes about a day to get used to it. It's really not that bad! If you're looking for a quick weight drop, this will do the trick.

7 Day Drink  Cleanse
Ingredients:

• 60 oz. distilled water
• 1 tea bag of dandelion root
• 1 tsp. sugar free cranberry juice
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a gallon drink  container, poor distilled water, add dandelion root tea bag, cranberry juice, and lemon juice according to recipe.
2. Refrigerate over night. 
3. Drink 60 oz. of the recipe a day for 7 days.

Happy cleansing!