3 Day Cleanse

So I decided to challenge myself and do my very first cleanse. I have always wanted to try one out, but a lot of the ones I saw were mainly liquids only and that is not for me. I love food and I need to EAT not just drink or it wouldn't work for me and in all honesty it's not healthy.

The one I chose to do is mainly a raw diet, plant based, no dairy, no meat, no bread, NO COFFEE. I was inspired by a friend and kind of winged it and went with what I wanted to challenge myself with and what I could handle at the same time.

Not having coffee originally I thought was going to be my biggest challenge, but as much as I missed it, it wasn't the hardest part. (or the taste at least) After all I didn't drink coffee for my whole pregnancy with my son. For me the hardest was feeling really tired, which I guess could be connected to the coffee. Day 1 was a breeze for the most part because I was so excited about starting the cleanse, had everything prepped and a plan in place. When nighttime hit Day 1 I noticed I was slightly weak so I made sure I grabbed some nuts and grapes. At this time I didn't think I was consuming enough calories, but the snacks helped and I made sure to add more calories to Day 2. To make matters worse BAM I got my period which partly explained how I was feeling too. I went to bed at 9pm and got a little over 8 hours of sleep, plenty you would think right? Nope.

Day 2 I woke up to losing 2 pounds within 24 hours, I was happy! I also felt like I haven't slept in days haha. I had my more energized moments, playing with my son, walking around Target, prepping dinner...but the down times I felt like a zombie. Staring at the computer screen at work was rough. At any moment I thought I would fall asleep. Day 2 I knew I needed more food of substance and protein so that's why I packed a good portion of quinoa with my lunch.

Day 3 I woke up losing about 3 more pounds. This is really working I thought. I was super motivated to finish this personal challenge.

Day 4 - In a total of 3 days I lost a total of 6.8 pounds! It was so worth it, not extremely hard and I felt great after. This was such an accomplishment for me and showing myself that I do have will power that sometimes I think I lack. After this cleanse I felt like I was on top of the world. I got a well deserved large coffee in the morning haha.

I would 100% do this again and WILL be.


My Food Plan

Day 1:

Breakfast - Banana Smoothie w/ unsweetened Almond Milk
Snack - Grapes
Lunch - Salad w/ mixed lettuce, baby spinach, raw cashews, quinoa, tomatoes, avocado
Snack - Apple
Dinner - Lettuce boat tacos w/ mushrooms, zucchini, red peppers
Snack - Unsalted Peanuts
Snack - Grapes
Water Intake - 60oz lemon water, 32oz regular water

Day 2:

Breakfast - Banana Smoothie w/ unsweetened Almond Milk
Snack - Grapes
Snack - Raw cashews
Lunch - Quinoa, baby spinach, mixed veggies, avocado, splash of avocado oil
Dinner - Zucchini noodles w/avocado sauce & a side of roasted veggies (brussel sprouts, sweet potato)
Snack - Strawberries
Water Intake - 30oz lemon water, 64oz regular water

Day 3:

Breakfast - Banana Smoothie w/ unsweetened Almond Milk
Snack - Grapes
Lunch - Quinoa & roasted veggies (brussel sprouts & sweet potato)
Snack - Raw cashews
Snack - Strawberries
Dinner - Avocado & tomato mash, corn on the cob & a baked potato w/ a splash of avocado oil & a little garlic
Water Intake - 90oz lemon water

 

 

 

Positive vibes,

 

Jenn

Product of the Week

These are like a treat, but healthy! I really was surprised how much I liked them because they are "crunchy" and not chewy which I usually prefer. But they aren't really that hard compared to other granola bars I have had that aren't chewy.

The serving size is two bar for only 180 calories, 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.

Perfect snack or an addition to a breakfast or lunch. It is a good option for someone craving chocolate too!

Check them out!

Success!

 

Well, day 2 of the group I have completed what I needed. I feel even more motivated now. Yesterday's workout was AWESOME. Country Heat is better than I thought it would be and a true workout. I sweat just as much as I do with any other workouts. I felt like I really accomplished something and felt good about that and myself. Parker joined in a little here and there, he loved the music and had to put his cowboy boots on for it. Too cute!

 

This program I prefer over Cize which is surprising to me because my dream for many years growing up was to be a hip hop dancer so you would think Cize would be my absolute favorite. Cize is very fun, but it's 15 minutes longer than Country Heat and that 15 minutes is a long time with you have a toddler hanging on your leg or wanting something or bored or thirsty, etc. Cize also repeats a lot throughout the workout. When a new move is introduced, you practice it and then you have to start the routine over and put it all together and this continues to the end with the last move. Country Heat has about 20 or so different moves just like Cize but once you do one or two, you move onto other moves and don't have to repeat the previous ones. I am new to country music, my son likes it. Usually I would say I would prefer hip hop, but that has now changed. Country music really is so fun! The music really kept me interested and excited. Country Heat is something I could see myself doing daily so it was well worth the purchase. Can't wait to do a different routine after work!

 

After a CRAZY day at work, a hardcore workout, making a healthy dinner for the family, prepping my sons lunch for the next day, hanging a stuffed animal hammock and other stuff around the house...

 

I DESERVED THIS! :)

 

Simple, quick and delicious!

 

apple slices

vanilla almond butter

mini chocolate chips

 

 

So good! This or something similar to it will become one of my new favorite snacks.

 



Product of the Week

Limited time only! Perfect for all those basic bitches like myself. I also tried the Cheerios, but this I like much better. Cheerios pumpkin spice was a very strong fragrant taste, this is more subtle. It's the perfect amount of fall flavor and great for a quick breakfast.

Check out your local grocery stores while it lasts. Before you know it there will be Christmas everything in the stores, which I am not complaining about. Haha.

Pancake Muffins

I posted a picture of the pancake muffins I made on the Passion N Beauty Facebook page and someone wanted the recipe so I thought I would share.

The recipe calls for:

pancake mix (I used Kodiak Cakes which is an all natural brand that has different kinds. This one was whole wheat, oat and honey)

water, amount as directed on pancake mix 

1 egg

vanilla

cinnamon

mini dark chocolate chips (optional)

-- Mix all the ingredients and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Simple! Delicious! And most importantly for me toddler approved! :) This is perfect for moms on the go, quick to make and great to have a snack on the go. 

Good vibes,

Jenn

Why do we only eat pumpkin in the fall?

I get why pumpkin is huge in the fall, makes sense. But when baking canned pumpkin is usually always used and that may not be in your front display now but it's still sold in the baking aisle.

I LOVE pumpkin and decided I couldn't wait until fall. I found this recipe and it sure was a delicious breakfast. 

The recipe calls for:

1 cup pumpkin purée

2 1/4 cup oatmeal or steal cut oats***

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

4 tbsp coconut butter

1/2 cups + 2 tbs organic maple syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-- Line or spray the muffin pan with baking oil. 

-- Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor or blender.

-- Fold in the chocolate chips or use them to top each muffin.

-- Fill the muffin tin 3/4 of the way.

-- Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes and let cool.

*** So I didn't use oatmeal because the recipe I found said "rolled oats" which I now know just means oatmeal. Instead I bought steel cut oats which I've never had before but knew they were very healthy for you. Because of this I'm sure my muffins are a different texture then the recipe I saw but I like it. Makes the muffins hearty and fills you. 

One batch I only topped the muffins with some chocolate chips and the second batch I mixed them in the batter. 

ENJOY!

Quinoa Porridge

The recipe calls for:

quinoa

coconut milk

greek yogurt

nuts/mini chocolate chips

natural peanut butter 

-- Cook the quinoa with coconut milk instead of water.

-- Add all the toppings, mix and enjoy!

Some substitute options:

almond butter instead of peanut butter 

jelly instead of yogurt 

fruit instead of nuts and chocolate chips

almonds instead of peanuts/peacans

almond milk instead of coconut 

Protein Coffee

I am in HEAVEN! 

The recipe calls for:

ground coffee

chocolate protein powder

water

coconut milk or milk/cream of your choice

-- This is so simple! Add coffee to the filter in your coffee pot like every morning and add one tablespoon of protein powder per two tablespoons of coffee. 

-- BREW and await the deliciousness!

-- Pour in your favorite mug, add milk/cream of your choice and ENJOY!

Each sip keeps getting better and better...CHEERS! ☕️

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

This smoothie is more my style!

The recipe calls for:
1 cup coffee
1 cup fat-free vanilla greek yogurt
1 tbs flax & chia seed blend
4 tbs natural peanut butter
1 frozen banana

-- Blend all the ingredients together and ENJOY! This recipe is two servings.

I used natural chunky peanut butter because it's all I had. If you only have regular greek yogurt just add a little vanilla extract for flavor. Also, if you don't want to use coffee, you can add ice or fat-free milk instead.


UPDATE: I kept half of this for the next morning and it was a little thick I guess from sitting overnight. So I just added a little milk and shaked my smoothie cup.

Some Healthy Food/Recipes

I don't get to do food shopping often because I can't bring my son Parker into stores yet, but on Friday I had a chance to go. I love food shopping. I wish I had more advance notice that I was able to go, I would've had a better list put together, but I got a lot of healthy food and organic food for my son.

 

flax/chia seed blend, ground chicken, organic quinoa, frozen veggies/steamables, organic bananas, organic green beans, frozen fruit, greek yogurts, organic apples, mushrooms, black bean organic pasta, zucchini & weight watchers string cheese

 

 

Here are some QUICK & healthy meals I made this week:

 



whole wheat penne with an avocado sauce I made which
was avocado, a little parm cheese, olive oil & pepper.

mushroom/spinach omelette with one ww string cheese
inspiration by a readers dinner the other night.







Another recipe was something my mom made in the crock pot. I wasn't feeeling well on Saturday and my parents came over so they brought dinner. It is a 3 point Weight Watcher chicken recipe.

See link for recipe!

This was breakfast this morning. A blueberry, strawberry smoothie. It was a bit sweet for my taste, but it was still good. I am going to try another kind tomorrow!

 

 

The recipe calls for:

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tbs chia/flax seed blend
1/2 cup 1% milk
5.3oz fat-free blueberry greek yogurt

Total: 290 calories

Next time I am not going to use a flavored yogurt and try water, not milk. This should help make it less sweet and not as thick. To cut more calories use fat-free milk instead. I would've but I didn't have it on hand. The non-flavored greek yogurt is also less calories. Banana smoothie is next!

Post Workout Meal

Leftover quinoa with a scrambled egg as my post workout breakfast/lunch. SO DELICIOUS! 

Say goodbye to the holiday food!

Get motivated!

Be healthier!
Healthy can taste good too!

Product of the Week

 

These are too good to be true!  They taste so good and are not only a great source of fiber, but not they have a protein bar line.  There are other flavors to choose from but this one is my favorite.

 

Try them out!  You won't be disappointed.

Product of the Week

Annie's Organic Peanut Butter Chewy Granola Bar

 

 

Only 120 calories per bar!  These bars have some iron, 3g protein and 1g fiber.

 

Product of the Week

Another great on the go breakfast or snack!

 

Starbucks Strawberry Smoothie

 

This drink has 16g of protein, 7g of fiber, vitamins, iron, a whole banana and is only 290 calories and 1g of fat for the non-fat milk option.  I haven't been to Starbucks for over 4 months since I am pregnant, it was nice to step foot in one again.  I missed it.  This may be sad but it made me feel like me.  I used to go there daily for coffee.  Obviously I couldn't get coffee because of the caffeine, but this is a great substitute and I finally get to use my christmas giftcards.  The baby needs mommy to eat a lot of protein so this is a great source.  I asked my doctor and made sure protein powder was okay to have before getting this.

 

Product of the Week

  

This smoothie is only 100 calories and requires no blender or added ingredients.  The directions say to heat it in the microwave for a little, but I just let it sit out for a little and it's good to drink.  These are a good source of vitamin C and very easy for people on the go.  They taste great.  The only downfall I saw was you can't really use a straw, more so a spoon since the packaging isn't deep enough.

 

I do like the Yoplait smoothies better but this is another smoothie option that is easier to just grab and go.

Product of the Week

I have been trying to find food that is high in protein because I need protein every meal for the baby.  I am not eating a lot of processed foods, but this is one of my exceptions.  It's naturally flavored so no added artifical crap that's bad for you.  It's perfect for on the go, has 8 grams of protein, high in fiber, lots of vitamins including folic acid for fellow soon to be moms and it is only 190 calories.  This oatmeal is made with multi-grain quinoa and comes in a few different flavors.  My favorite so far is the maple brown sugar crunch, great flavor and I love the nuts you add to it.  Other kinds they have are cranberry almond and cinnamon raisen pecan.  They come in a two pack and you can find them in the cereal aisle.

 

Try it out!

Homemade Granola Bars

This is an easy recipe and healthier than the processed granola bars at the store.  Try it out!  Great for people on the go.

The recipe calls for:
2 cups oats
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup of mixed nuts or anything of your choice

-- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until moist.  Spread the mixture in a 8 x 8 inch baking dish.  Press the mixture down so it becomes compact in the dish.
-- Bake for 20 minutes.
-- The bars need to cool completely before cutting.

The mix used for the below was almonds, raisins, peanuts and cashews.  YUM!

 

Other options to add into the mix could be dark chocolate chips, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, etc.  You can also break up the granola bar and add it to yogurt as a nutritious breakfast or snack.

Healthy Food Myth

A lot of people think that eating healthy is so expensive, but really it's not.  You go to a fast food restaurant and it's over $6 for a combo meal and that is just ONE meal.  So fast food being unhealthy isn't the only negative.

In this picture there is a bran/multi-gran muffin, apples, a bag of lettuce/veggies and a sweet potato.  

All this was only $4.85 and it makes up:

1 breakfast

2 snacks

a few lunches or dinner sides (salad)

1 side for dinner

Coconut Almond Bread

The recipe calls for:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup stevia

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

3/4 cup shredded coconut

sugar to sprinkle

-- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

-- In a large bowl mix together the butter and sugar until it is creamy.  Beat in the egg and extracts.

-- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the mixed ingredients and milk slowly to the creamy mixture.  Mix well.

-- Fold in the shredded coconut.

-- Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle with sugar.

-- Bake for 50 minutes.

I used some lighter alternatives to make this recipe a little healthier.  Instead of butter I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and I used 1% milk.  You could also use fat-free milk, but I just used what I had.  I used Stevia in the mixture, but I prefer regular sugar for sprinkling.  I liked it warmed up a little, but it's just as good served at room temperature.

Susan G. Komen, Race for a Cure

My whole family and some friends did the 5k on May 5th to support the Breast Cancer Fundraiser, Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure.  It was a beautiful day surrounded by beautiful inspiring people.  I made some homemade trailmix for everyone with raisens, cinnamon almonds, unsalted cashews/peanuts, dark chocolate covered pomegranate pieces and pink m&m's.  I had a semi bad food weekend so it was nice to eat a healthy breakfast and get some exercise (3.2 miles) to burn some calories.

  

Our team Fit for Tits raised more than last time, so that was amazing!  For anyone who wants to donate to this cause at any point go to their website here.  My mom is a survivor so this cause is very close to my heart, every dollar counts!  I hope a cure is found in my lifetime.