Turbo Fire: Day 2

Today is day 2 with my Turbo Fire program. Before my work out, I had my morning weigh-in. Down 1.8 lb ALREADY! What? Yes, I'm sure. I weighed myself several times to make sure it wasn't a fluke and it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me early in the morning. That was just the encouragement I needed for my workout today AND to follow through with clean eating.

Today's workout was HIIT 15, followed up with Stretch 10. HIIT 15 is a fast up and down workout. For 15 minutes, you give your all. It has your body burning fat at a higher rate than traditional aerobic workouts. The difference is when you push yourself in a HIIT workout, you're working at a higher intensity. When you give your all and push yourself, then your body is working at a anaerobic rate (as opposed to aerobic). After that, I was out of breath. WHOA! The 10 minutes of stretching was AMAZING for my body. It was such a treat.

My workout was followed up with my own speciality - a Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino. I have an insane love for Starbucks drinks. There is no Starbucks where I live, and it doesn't quite fit in to my healthy eating (aside from the occasional treat).

Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino

1 scoop vanilla protein shake mix
1 scoop chocolate protein shake mix
1 tb peanut butter
1 cup chilled coffee
1/2-1 cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
1/2-1 cup ice

Combine all of the ingredients in to your mixer. Blend. Pour. Enjoy.


Today's Workout
Turbo Fire: HIIT 15
Turbo Fire: Stretch 10

Today's Meals
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino
Snack: hardboiled eggs
Lunch: baked garlicky chicken and veggies
Dinner: Turkey Chili and a salad



Clearly, I am eating a lot of leftovers. :)

Breakfast: My Top 5 Picks

 

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. If I could eat breakfast for each meal with out feeling guilty, then I would certainly do it. Breakfast is also "the most important meal of the day," so I guess I'm lucky to love it so much! If you aren't convinced that breakfast is the most important meal, then here's a way to understand it. Breakfast is just what is says, breaking the fast. Your body has just undergone hopefully a 7-9 hour fast while you were sleeping. We have learned that "fasts" can actually slow our metabolisms. Of course you can't and shouldn't eat while you are sleeping - rest is essential to your health. But you should eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. Some have the misconception that skipping breakfast will help cut their caloric intake for the day, but it actually does more harm than help. Aside from slowing your metabolism, skipping a meal will also increase your risk of overeating throughout the day. Not to mention, you're body and brain can't function as well without the nutrients it needs from breakfast. Can a car run without gas? Of course not! So, why should you expect that your body can run without the fuel it needs?

If you are in a breakfast rut, or think that a bowl of Lucky Charms will be the breakfast cure, then here is a list of my top 5 breakfast picks. Enjoy!

1. Blueberry Almond Oats
 

 

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), topped with almond butter, ground flax, and blueberries.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/3 cup blueberries

2. Cran-apple Oats

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), topped with almond butter, ground flax, sliced apples, and dried cranberries.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/2  sliced apple, (cooked to soften, sprinkled with cinnamon)
• 1/2 - 1 tb dried cranberries

3. Banana Peanut Butter Oats
 

Oatmeal cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or water), unsweetened cocoa mixed in, topped with peanut butter, ground flax, and sliced banana.

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1 cup of water)
• 1 tb almond butter or peanut butter
• 1 tb ground flax
• 1/2 sliced banana
• 1 tb unsweetened cocoa

4. Breakfast Protein Quinoa
Quinoa cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla shakeology and egg whites, then topped with any of the above choices.

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites 
• 1 scoop vanilla shakeology

5. Breakfast BET

  This is a bit like a BLT, but with egg instead of lettuce.  Toast with turkey bacon, scrambled egg whites, and tomato. You can load it up like a sandwich, or like pictured below. Also try adding salsa or avocado.

• 1-2 slices gluten free toast
• 2 egg whites, scrambled 
• 1 slice turkey bacon 
• 1/2 sliced tomato 

Udi's Gluten Free and Chocolate Mounds Recipe

If you are familiar with the gluten free lifestyle, then you are sure to recognize the name "Udi's." Udi's products are natural, without artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives, or other synthetic additives. They also have a wide assortment of gluten free goodies that are sure to fill your belly and soul.

Udi's graciously sent me a ton (seriously, see for yourself) of products to review. It was like Christmas morning when I saw the package on my doorstep. My son was even jumping around the house, because he saw some of his favorites in the box! Of course we had to sample a few things right out of the box! YUM!

I've long been a long-time fan of their products, but they sent me new items that I had never tried before. Goodness - I can't even pick a favorite! I still love the snickerdoodles, but their granola bars are simply amazing and my son finished off the cinnamon rolls. As a parent, my favorite part of it all was that they weren't laden with sugar. It can be difficult to find granola, muffins, cinnamon rolls, etc without all of the excess sugar. Udi's succeeded in making tasty goodies, without sending us in to a sugar coma. I had no qualms about letting my child enjoy the cinnamon rolls at breakfast. We have also found a new lunchtime option. The Ancient Grain Chips will be a staple in our house. These little things come in a few flavors (we got cheese), and are made with quinoa, flax, and other nutrient-dense ingredients.

I talked to one of the teachers I work with, whom is gluten free, about Udi's. She noted how much she loves their products and the fact she has a healthy option with Udi's, as she is dairy and gluten free! Then she steered me towards their Lemon Streussel Muffins, one of her top picks!

After receiving all of this gluten free goodness, I decided to tackle some family recipes using Udi's products. One of my favorite family recipes is called Chocolate Mounds. My grandmother made it for my dad and his family growing up, and I remember my dad making it for us when I was young. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... peanut butter + chocolate = a gift from God. My dad gave me the Chocolate Mounds recipe a while back. I looked over it recently and saw some quick changes I could make to the recipe to make it gluten free and a cleaner treat for the holidays. My changes included using Udi's Coconut Peanut Butter cookies - hello!

 I hope you enjoy this special treat! It is sure to be a holiday hit!

Chocolate Mounds

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 1 tsp xylitol (only add if you prefer this to be sweeter)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, crumbled
• 2 tb orange juice (or more as needed)
• 1 6-oz package chocolate chips (60% cacao chocolate is the best option)
• 1 tb coconut oil

Directions

1. Combine peanut butter, dates, xylitol, walnuts, Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, and orange juice. 
2. Shape into walnut-size pieces. Tip: Roll between hands to shape.
3. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
4. In a double-boiler, melt 1 6-oz package of chocolate chips. Add coconut oil and melt.
5. Use a spoon and roll each cookie mixture in melted chocolate.
6. Place on wax paper to harden.
7. Enjoy!

Visit Udi's Gluten Free, find them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

Protein No-Bake Cookies

I've made these Protein No-Bake Cookies MANY times and they are always a hit! I tend to just throw stuff together, so when one of my fellow teachers asked for a recipe I decided to finally write it down! They are an amazing, but much healthier version of the treat! They are bound to be a great addition to any holiday gatherings you may be heading to. :)

Protein No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients 

• 1 cup of Chocolate Shakeology (or another chocolate protein shake mix)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup 
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1 cup organic, natural peanut butter 

Instructions: 

1. Mix peanut butter and agave nectar (or brown rice syrup) in a microwaveable bowl. 
2. Heat for 60–90 seconds. Mix well. 
3. Add protein shake powder and mix well. 
4. Add rolled oats and mix gently. 
5. Using a Tablespoon, scoop the dough into round balls and place on a cookie sheet 
6. Use a spoon to flatten into a cookie shape 
7. Refrigerate 1 hour.