Protein Pancakes

Fuel up the morning right!
This is my FAVOURITE weekend brunch recipes

2 cups of egg whites
1 banana
1 scoop of chocolate shakeology
1/2 cup of oats

You can even add a handful of blueberries or some chocolate chips 

blend ingredients together and cook on a non-stick pan. Serve with peanut butter and honey.

Makes 4-6 pancakes

Protein Balls

Awesome snack that is easy to make not to mention cheaper and healthier than granola bars. Makes 20 and only 80 calories each! 
Recipe: 
1 cup of nuts I used almonds
1 cup of oats 
-Grind oats and nuts together then add the read of the ingredients 
1/4 cup of cacao powder or carob
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of maca powder (great for an energy boost)
1 scoop of protein powder (chocolate shakeology works well)
2/3 cup almond butter
2-3 tablespoons almond milk to help hold it together.
-And voila roll them up. No need for added syrups or sweeteners it is mighty tasty the way it is!
You can also roll them in shredded coconut too.

Day 3 of the refresh

Day 3 is finally here! But it really wasn't bad! I was eating lots of veggies with hummus and avocado- mm my favourite!

And the vanilla refresh I loved because I blended it up with half a banana and lots of ice to make it frothy! 

I had to have some meals on the go because that is life! If you absolutely have to eat at a restaurant, which I did a garden salad worked well with some olive oil and lemon juice! All is possible if you ask! 

This program really made me realize how much we seek comfort foods and how much better I feel without it! It was also good to be more aware of how much processed food we eat. It's really all around us and easy to choose. This program helped me go back to the basics; fruits, veggies, nuts and healthy fats. 

It was really well laid out. All that was required was some preparation even if that means some containers on the go and for the shakes, mixing with water. 

Something I noticed was that it is easy to mistake hunger for actually being thirsty! I was reaching lots for the water these 3 days instead of food and I found that water left me satisfied because I was thirsty in the first place! 

Apart from feeling good, tomorrow morning will be a weigh in to see some more exciting changes.

Bottom line, it is good to give our bodies a break from working through all of the processed food that we eat and get back to the clean side! 

3 Day Refresh Day 1

Day 1 is complete and what did I eat?

My day started with PIYO sweat and lots of water!

Breakfast was shakeology with a handful of blueberries (shown in the glass)
I had some herbal tea instead of my usual coffee, there are some great varieties out there, love the selection!
Mid-morning was the fibre sweep which is not pictured, it tasted much better than I thought, there was a citrus taste to it! The fibre sweep is just mixed with water and drank quickly.
Lunch was the Vanilla Fresh shake with half a banana (shown in the right) and peppers with 2 Tbs of avocado
For an afternoon snack I had carrots and hummus

Dinner was a veggie stir fry with ginger and garlic and the Vanilla Fresh shake

So far Day 1 is good, the shakes taste delicious as I expected since this product is from the creators of Shakeology (enough said :) ) and I am really focussing on drinking lots of water!

I am also making hibiscus lemonade since it is warm to drink tea all day and night! In that I added the hibiscus leaves and stevia to sweeten! I think this will definitely be my go-to for a sweet-tooth-kicking after dinner drink when I need something healthy!

3 Day Refresh Pre-Start

Making my lists and checking them twice! Getting all prepared for the refresh which starts tomorrow. Planning is key! I'll be bringing my food and shakes to work tomorrow! 

Here is my shopping list by category to get ready for the refresh:

Matchstick carrots ( to keep prep simple )

Cucumbers

Peppers 

Spinach 

Green beans 

Sprouts 

Cauliflower 

Asparagus 

Ginger 

Baby tomatoes 

Avocado 

Fresh basil 

Bananas 

Blueberries

Strawberries 

Grapefruit 

Lemon juice

Hummus

Slivered almonds

Pumpkin seeds 

*Oils, spices and things that I already had 

Olive oil, coconut oil, almond butter, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon. 

Tomorrow I will post "a day in the 3 day refresh" so that you can see what that looks like! 

The 3 Day Refresh

It is finally here and it came at the perfect time! You know when you have been on the road visiting family, going to bbqs, eating out and just feeling plain bloated!

The wonderful thing about this is that it is short and you still get to eat and of course enjoy those wonderful shakes! I know I can do this cleanse because I have done a 5 day juice cleanse where I didn't get to eat a thing, no solid food and that was tough! This way I still get to enjoy my shakeology every morning! 

In the package you will find:

*A program guide which will be your bible for te next 3 days 

*Shakeology packet to start your day with your dense nutrition shake with a fruit option 

*2 vanilla fresh packets for your mid morning snack and lunch with your fruit and veggie options 

*For dinner you have a meal to choose from from your program guide and a fibre sweep packet to help with the detoxification process 

The refresh starts Monday so stay tuned for meals and results! I'm so ready to feel lighter and healthier! 

PiYo

I have always needed to work on flexibility and balance and PiYo does just that plus strength and cardio intervals with no equipment! 

This program came at the perfect time, I was travelling visiting my family in different places so to do a program where all I needed was a small space and a DVD player was key! Plus I was going to compete in my first triathlon so I needed to stretch and lengthen and work on the small balance muscles!

This program also works a lot on the powerhouse, THE CORE but not just by doing the traditional exercises like crunches but more by with dynamic movements.  I am always SOAKED when I am done a work out and the sessions range from 25-45 min. Plus Chalene Johnson is FUNNY, I love her as a trainer she's motivating and I love her comments!

Here is the rundown on the what is included in the pack:

1) Align- shows you the fundamentals on how to get started right and performing the moves with proper form

2) Define: Lower Body- Getting "gorgie" (as Chalene would say) legs there are some static poses and dynamic poses as well

3) Define: Upper Body- This includes core and arms, there is a lot of tricep pushups working the back of the arm which I know I need to work on. Of course there are modifications to the moves because I can't yet perform some of the moves on my toes so it is a work in progress

4) Sweat- This is a 35 min session and offers more traditional PiYo moves which are unique to this program that you won't find anywhere else!

5) Core- Working on the powerhouse while working on everything else!

6) Buns- One of my FAVOURITES thought it was just going to be the glutes but turned out to be hamstrings, legs and the outer hip/glute to get that nice dent in your booty. I have to tell you I went for a bike a day after I did this workout and I really felt my outer butt which is what I want, that is a hard area to work on!

7) Strength Intervals- Great if you need a circuit cardio/strength style workout

8) Drench- The longest workout of the bunch, really tests your endurance and ability to hold some poses 

9) Sculpt- total body workout only 30 min!

10) There is a bonus hardcore on the floor workout which is also a core workout without leaving the mat!

Another BONUS is Turbo Fire low HIIT 20 which is a cardio interval workout too!

I am always working up a great sweat with these workouts and also learning some new moves such as: 

Crow Crouch (Tricep): Head tricep pushup while crouching then finishing with leg straight in the air

PiYo Pike: From the t-stand position, take the raised arm and curl it under your body lifting your hips into the air in a pike and crunching your abs.

PiYo Flip: One of the toughest moves. I could not for the life of me get this move at first, but after watching a break down of it on YouTube totally get it and find it fun! 

Beast: One all fours, lift your knees off the ground and hold in tabletop then tap with alternate arms to really get a burn!

Kick Thru: From the Beast, bring one leg through and kick it, rotating in that direction and lifting the opposite arm in the air.

-PiYo Push-up (inch worm to the group, Tricep Push-up x3, walk hands back to feet, Roll Up, Chair Squat)

Some of the YOGA POSES that are incorporated are:

-Plank

-Child's Pose

-Tricep Push-up

-Chaturanga & Up Dog

-Down Dog

-Down Dog Split

Warrior Series

-Warrior 1

-Warrior 2

-Right Angle

-Triangle

-Flow (Warrior Series - Right Leg, Left Leg Leads)

-Tricep Push-up

-Warrior 3

-Half Moon

This program has been a great CHALLENGE for me! If this sounds like something you would like to do email me!

PIYO CHALLENGE PACK