WIN A FREE WORKOUT by Participating in our Shakeology 30 day Challenge!!!!

Starts: October 6th!

Location: Your own home

Details: Take my 30-day Shakeology challenge starting on October 6th.

Lose weight, feel more energized, and improve your digestion. And that’s just the

beginning!!!!

Here is how it will work:

1. Visit my website and then order Shakeology on home direct, in whatever flavor you prefer. OR become a coach first and then order Shakeology when you sign up to be a coach and save 25% on all orders!!!!

Why Home direct? Because at the end of 30 days, if you are not completely happy with your results, you can return the bag or box for a full refund and cancel your HD order. But….it if you love it—and you WILL—you won’t have to worry about missing a single day.

Also, it takes a full month to completely feel the benefits of drinking Shakeology every single day. I can provide samples to those who would like to try it first, but don’t wait because the challenge starts on April 22nd and you want to make sure you’re ready to roll!

2. Send me your weight—that’s it, no measurements—at the start and then again at the end of the challenge.

3. At the end of the 30 days—the person who has lost the most weight on Shakeology will win a cool prize from me…..a workout program!!!!

There are no other rules or fees to put in. Just place a shakeology HD order with me, send me your weight by October 6th and then drink your Shakeology until the end of October.. The person with the most weight loss will win a free complete at home workout system!!!!

(Open to new customers only)

Asian Stuffed Napa Cabbage Rolls

These Asian style cabbage rolls are a great twist on stuffed cabbage. They are light and healthy, yet still a filling “one-pot” meal perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Nakano rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili or chili-garlic sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• leaves from 1 large head of Napa cabbage
• 
  

 Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare your filling by gently combining uncooked beef (or turkey), shredded carrots, cooked rice (or quinoa), garlic, ginger, onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili sauce and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.

To make your leaves easy to roll, use a rolling pin to flatten to make leaves more pliable. If you find that your leaves are on the smaller side, use two to roll, overlapping both ends to make one big leaf.

Spoon your filling to each leaf. Carefully roll each leaf tightly and place side by side in a large baking dish. Pour 1 cup of water over stuffed cabbage rolls and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Serve with juices from baking dish and additional chili sauce.

Homemade “Emeril’s Essence” Seasoning Blend

This seasoning mix is so easy to make and really helps kick things up a notch when it comes to adding a little extra flavour to your favourite recipes.

This is a savoury blend that works great to accent meats, poultry and seafood, but is also delicious on grilled or roasted veggies!

Ingredients:

•  1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy, use more)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, add all of the above ingredients and mix well to combine. (I use the back of spoon to mash/grind the ingredients together.)
2. Transfer to a small, clean jar.

Gestational Diabetes

(An old blog post that I hadn't shared.)

With my last pregnancy I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (GD). It was a serious pain in the butt and I was in such denial about the diagnosis that I never really believed that I had it. I was bitter that I had to test my blood 4 times a day and visit the diabetes clinic at the hospital. The appointments always ran about an hour behind schedule and the nurses were always a little condescending. I didn’t have any of the symptoms that they told me I should have. I felt that I ate fairly healthy and I exercised, sort of. In my mind things just didn’t add up.

When you develop GD it can be an indicator that you will develop diabetes later in life. How could that be for me, no one in my family has diabetes? I went to the appointments and was always a little annoyed with the fact that I had to be there. I felt that they needed to reach some kind of quota and where sending people that didn’t necessarily meet the criteria. Why else didn’t I experience the symptoms they said that I should?

At my first appointment they put me on the special diet. When I checked back in a week later I had lost weight and they got upset with me. In my mind that reinforced that there was nothing wrong with me and I didn’t need to be there. So, I basically went through through the motions of following their plan, but from then on out I really did my own thing. Sure I was eating better and following their guidelines, but I did cheat on the diet, here and there. I felt good and didn’t have any issues with my pregnancy. I craved sugary foods and McDonald’s and would regularly indulge.

It wasn’t until my daughter was born, via C-section (after 23 hours of labour) at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and had unstable blood sugar that I finally realized that I probably did in fact have glucose issues. Albeit, not serious ones, but issues none the less. It is said that when you have poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy it can lead to adverse outcomes, such as large babies, an increased C-section rate and low blood sugar in newborns. Crap. Time to wake up. For 8 hours they came every hour to take her blood and test her levels. Every time they put the needle in her heal she screamed louder then the last time and I felt so guilty, I would cry with her. It was awful. I was a brand new mom and felt like I was off to a horrible start. Then finally it stabilized and that part was behind us.

When she was two years old she had thrush in her mouth for months that would not go away. It was suggested that she was getting too much sugar in her diet. This didn’t make sense to us but because it came to HER health we gave our eating habits an honest look. In the struggle to be a working mom and to get meals on the table at a decent time of day, we had slowly become part of the pre-package, pre-made, easy food choices that our society loves to push so much and had lost our way with real food. We also discovered that she was eating things that weren’t chosen for her by us when she wasn’t in our care and was in fact consuming a lot of sugar;-( This was not going to lead to the life that we wanted our child to live and she was on the verge of developing some real issues, so we made changes. Changes that would give her a real shot at a long, healthy life. Surprise, surprise after only a week of clean eating her thrush cleared up and has NEVER been back!

Now I am 22 weeks pregnant with our second and will be tested for gestational diabetes in 3 weeks time. I am really curious about the results of that test. Regular exercise and clean eating is a way of life for us now. Having said that, I haven’t been exercising nearly as much as I normally would as I have been dealing with pregnancy migraines and some days activity is just not possible, but I do eat well. It is a night and day comparison between the two pregnancies.

There is of course the chance that I will automatically be treated like I have GB regardless of the test results, simply because I had it last time. Either way, I don’t mind. The “diet” is really just clean eating anyways and I am already there. I guess I am more curious about the changes in my body between then and now.

I am grateful for our lifestyle change and grateful hat we won’t have the learning curve to go through this time around;-)

26 weeks pregnant. Stress, reflections and gratefulness

At 26 weeks the baby can hear conversions and distinguish voices! Our baby responds to big sister every time she speaks. It’s so amazing;-) babe weighs in at almost 2 pounds!!! We have less then 14 weeks to go until we get to meet our new tiny human and I am not sure how the time is going so fast!
I have been reflecting lots lately about this pregnancy. How different it is from my first (which was pretty smooth). This one started super bumpy. Lots of pain, a traumatic misdiagnose, that thank goodness didn’t end in tragedy, the loss of one baby, the discovery of a healthy second one, the work issues, the high blood pressure, heart murmur, the horrendous migraines and then medical leave.
It’s been a blur, a whirl wind and also an amazing journey. Amazing because this life is so wanted. It is worth every bit of stress and complication that has happened. I have discovered a lot about myself and the people in my life.

About myself: I have discovered that I am exactly where I am meant to be. My little family has never been a stronger unit. I have learned, finally to move past what others think and to look after myself and my family. It’s funny that you can actually learn to do this when your decisions impact the life of your unborn child.

About others: those that are truly there for you really are. They support you and care for you and just understand all the things that you can’t put into words. For them I am forever grateful. Then there are those that claim to be there. That tell others that they are there for you, but in reality they do everything to make things more difficult and have their own reasons why they can’t actually care about your well being. The funny thing is, it’s ok. Their true colours become obvious and it’s just not worth moving past. When it comes to your children and your health it’s just not worth trying to force trust. So, you let go and you move on and you become grateful to see then for what they really are.
I am grateful. I am happy. Yes, most of my days are hard and I struggle to maintain normalcy for my amazing four year old but I am also blessed to be able to rest in my home and watch my daughter play. Here is safe and relaxing and exactly where we need to be.

In roughly 14 weeks we will get to officially meet this amazing new person that kicks me so hard! Lol. We can’t wait to meet you babe. You are amazing and so wanted! Your big sister wishes every day for you to arrive now. I am happy that you are not listening to her. She will be the worlds best big sister!

The secret of goals

We guarantee every one of you had a goal in mind when ordering Shakeology. From wanting to lose weight, to simply eating healthier, we all want to get something out of Shakeology.

The tricky part can be pin-pointing a goal and creating measurable ways and strategies to obtain it.

If you are discouraged about the outcome of last year’s goals or past New Years’ Resolutions, it is time to make changes in how you plan and achieve your dreams. After all, “You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.” – Charles Noble

Here are 4 tips for success and to hold yourself accountable to your goals:

1. WRITE DOWN your goals and be specific.
Don’t just say, “I want to lose weight.” Since muscle weighs more than fat, that’s a misleading statement. Instead, write down a physical attribute you want to change about yourself, set a time frame, then describe how you plan to achieve it.

Example:
“I will [drop two sizes and wear my favorite pair of jeans] by [my birthday three months from now] by [replacing one meal a day with Shakeology and walking 30 minutes every morning.]“

2. VISUALIZE your results!
Rip a picture of your dream body (or body part) out of a magazine and tape it to your mirror or fridge. That way you’ll have a constant reminder of what specific goal you’re working towards.

3. REWARD yourself for success along the way.
For example, if one of your goals is to work out 5 times a week for a month, once accomplished, reward yourself with a new pair of tennis shoes or a workout top. DON’T reward yourself with garbage (like an eating-fest at your favorite restaurant).

4. Be REALISTIC with your goals!
This is the most important one of all. If your goal is to lose 100 lbs. in 3 months, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. You didn’t put the weight on overnight, so you’re not going to lose it overnight either.

Always keep in mind, the name of the game is to enjoy yourself. Change is an uncomfortable process but your journey doesn’t have to be. Remember to stop and smell the roses, be kind to yourself and take note of how far you’ve progressed on the way to your ultimate goal!

Awesome thought:

22 weeks

The baby:

At 22 weeks the baby is 11 inches and almost 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash). Apparently the baby now looks like a TINY HUMAN!

Lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and there are even tiny tooth buds developing beneath the gums.

Me:

Well, I have a definite pregnant belly. Have gained 8 pounds and it’s starting to get awkward to bend over! Unlike my last pregnancy I have not swelled this time and for that I am extremely grateful.

Thoughts:

I can’t even believe how fast this pregnancy is going. All things considered I thought it would be dragging out. There have been so many bumps along the way, starting with a misdiagnosis, that I will write about one day as I feel that it is extremely important to share, but today is not the day. For whatever reason, I can’t write about it until this baby has safely arrived.

I have been dealing with high blood pressure, dizziness and horrible migraines. Migraines that are triggered by the pregnancy hormone! Who knew that could even happen! The odds are similar to winning the lottery, yet, it doesn’t cause the same excitement. Lol 

Some days are awful and some days are alright. There are a lot that are in between the two. Rest has become my friend and is very much needed. I thought I would be going stir crazy, but, I am oddly ok with this all. Growing a tiny human is the most important amazing thing and I am grateful for the ability to do so. Despite the issues, I am one of those women that absolutely LOVES being pregnant. The growing belly, the kicking baby, all of it really. This baby is so very active. It’s great. Feeling the movement is the most amazing thing ever and it keeps me focused.

My big girl is so thrilled to be a big sister. She has such plans. I only hope she isn’t too disappointed that they baby will not be able to play with her for quite some time. Having said that, she is baby obsessed, so maybe it will all work out;-)

As a little family we could not be happier. We are excited to be a family of four;-)

Shakeology review

A guest post from 12 Star Diamond and founding coach, Traci Morrow When Shakeology was added to our exclusive Beachbody Coach store, it made a lot of sense to me: the idea of a meal replaced with a shake that in effect, filled in the large gaps of my present diet’s nutrition. An unhealthy accumulation of days – even years – stacked up where my body wasn't getting what I was needing and I felt it. Tired, feeling run down from my busy life, and out of time to prepare what I thought I needed – or did I even know what that was? Fruits that don't taste all that great anymore because they’re pulled from the trees or vines too early for mass crops, vegetables that came from a frozen bag and devoid of flavor as well. I’m a terrible pill taker, so my multivitamin consumption was more hit than miss. A shake that “acted like a salad but tasted like a dessert” is what it said, and as a protein shake consumer, I was game.

Shakeology turned out to be far more than I knew to hope for. A complete system: two workouts (30 and 50 minutes), a month of recipes for both flavors, and a meal plan (through the Club) for how to incorporate the shake into my day? This wasn't just a meal replacement shake that was going to require me to figure out how to incorporate it into my day – this was a lifestyle shift and one I desperately needed if I wanted to LIVE healthy. I love being able to speak from personal experience of how the Shakeology system has helped me regain energy, and have everyone I love on it! My 70+ year old parents, my 86 year old father in law, my siblings, my teenagers, and my 6 & 7 year olds love it too. All ages, both genders; experiencing health in a shake and a lifestyle shift that helps “End the Trend” of obesity, fast food diets, and highly processed foods that harm our generation..starting with us. ☺ If you’d like to try Shakeology for free, ask for a free sample and I’ll be happy to send you one!

I'm worth the investment. Are you?

Drinking Shakeology is a lot like brushing your teeth and exercising—you’ve got to participate in these healthy habits every day to see their benefits. The more you do it, the more you can experience these advantages.

 Here are 5 reasons you should drink Shakeology daily:

1. ☀️Your cravings for unhealthy foods can eventually disappear—and be replaced by cravings for healthy choices. It’s true!
2. ☀️You can save time! Replace one meal a day with Shakeology and that’s one less meal to plan. Whip up your shake and go. It’s fast food that’s great for you.
3. ☀️You can save money! If you drink Shakeology instead of eating lunch or dinner, you’ll spend just $4 on your meal.
4. ☀️You can save money! As Shakeology improves your digestion, boosts your energy, and keeps you lean, you’re bound to have fewer medical bills.
5. 
   
6. You can keep the weight off! Studies show that people who eat breakfast every day are less likely to regain the weight. Furthermore, a protein-rich breakfast helps you feel full and reduces the tendency to snack throughout the day.

Our Pregnancy Story

I share this story for no other reason then to simply share our story. It is in no way intended to provide medical advice or to slam our medical system as we had some amazing doctors along the way. We are grateful for their support, without them our sweet little Karis would not be with us.

Early in this pregnancy I was experiencing some severe pain and it was decided to do an early ultrasound to rule out tubal pregnancy. The first ultrasound was too early and it was not possible to say that it was not tubal. We went back a week later with the hope of ruling out a tubal pregnancy. The doctor came in at the end of the ultrasound and told us the baby was gone. They could not detect any cardiac activity and we were told to go get a D&C.

By that evening we didn't "feel" right about the diagnosis. We talked to our GP and maternity doctor and they agreed to support us in "waiting" it out to see what happened.

What followed was the longest 10 days of my life. Daily blood work to test the hCG levels. In early pregnancy the hCG usually doubles every 48-72 hours and it should normally increase by at least 60% every two days. My levels were doubling as expected but there was a 2% chance that I was experiencing a "missed miscarriage". This is when your body has lost the baby, but still continues to produce the hormone and act pregnant, even though you are not. We were told continually that the results looked optimistic but we should be cautious and not get our hopes up. It really made it difficult to not question my mental sanity. I wondered how deep my grief was that I just couldn't let go.......fast forward to the Friday before Christmas......our third ultrasound was scheduled.

Jeff and I went to the appointment, more nervous and anxious then we had ever been for anything before. It was the worlds longest hour. The technician was lovely and amazing but not allowed to discuss with us what she was seeing until the doctor was able to come and review the findings.

The findings were: twins. One that was viable, and up until this point had not been seen, and one that was not. This condition is referred to as vanishing twin syndrome. (Vanishing twin syndrome was first recognized in 1945. Vanishing twin syndrome is when one of a set of twin/multiple fetuses disappears in the uterus during pregnancy. This is the result of a miscarriage of one twin/multiple. The fetal tissue is absorbed by the other twin/multiple, placenta or the mother. This gives the appearance of a “vanishing twin”). The sweet little babe that they had found first was being re-absorbed by my body. The sac was almost empty by this point. The second baby that was just discovered appeared to be healthy. We were told to wait another two weeks to make sure that the baby was developing as they expected before we got too excited but at this point everything looked very hopeful.

With the Christmas holiday we ended up waiting for 3 weeks for ultrasound number 4. During the ultrasound everything checked out. The second sac was still present but empty and our other baby was thriving.

By the time we got to our 18 week ultrasound we had a healthy and super active babe. The babe that was discovered first was now 100% gone. Had we not had early ultrasounds we would have never known that it had been there. Other then the initial pain there were no symptoms to suggest that this was happening within my body. For the remainder of the pregnancy I was grateful for the super active baby that remained. I had constant reassurance that she was there.

On July 31, 2014 our sweet Karis Hope was born.

Healthy. Beautiful. Real.