Movement Monday: Just Get It Done!

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here.

I'm just returning from a trip to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India for work and it was an eye-opening experience!  It was a busy week and nearly every moment was utilized while I was in the office.  I barely had time to think about how jet-lagged I was.  I won't even count the number of cups of espresso I had the first day I was there, but to my surprise, by day 3, I was back to my regular caffeine habit -- a cup or two in the morning to wake me up.  

Besides participating with my co-workers in their experiences in the office and providing technical training as the team lead, I was interested in an entirely separate aspect of this travel -- could I set a workout plan a stick to it?  I knew the meals weren't entirely in my control due to the strong recommendation to avoid all uncooked items, like fresh fruit and veggies, if I wanted to keep my insides in tact.  I managed to add another challenge to this difficulty when I arrived at the airport and realized I managed to leave my Shakeology and Go Macro bars behind.

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." -- Amelia Earhart

I became a fitness coach because I'm passionate about fitness and I love helping and supporting others become their best!  I enjoy sharing my life experiences as a working single-parent, whether good or bad, to help others.  Even with the numerous experiences I've had and shared, there was at least one situation that I couldn't seem to come up with a real answer for when current or potential clients rationalized business travel as a reason for avoiding starting a health improvement regimen or getting off track on their planned routine.  I always believe that if it's importantant to you, you will do it.  Since 'feeling good' about themselves is important to most people, having the right motivation to stay on track is the key to maintaining a reasonable portion of healthy activities while traveling for business.

In my workplace, it is common knowledge that I am also a group exercise instructor, so many coworkers feel very comfortable discussing their struggles and shortcomings in this area.  What most don't realize is my commitment to myself and my own health and fitness, but quickly find out when I share some of my strategies for just getting it done.

I had a couple opportunities to share with my co-worker I was traveling with during our 30+ hour journey after he expressed his frustrations with the way he was feeling about his health and exercise stamina.  Over the past 2 years, he had taken on more responsibilities at work that required him to travel to locations all over the world and really wanted to get his health back on track.

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action with without vision is a nightmare.” —Japanese proverb

So here are 4 things that helped me while traveling for business.

1. Have a Clear Vision of What it is You Want - We all want to live our life to it's full potential and that means creating a powerful vision of what we want for our lives.  The more powerful the vision, the more it will compel you to find a way to get it done, even when it is not comfortable.  I knew skipping a full week of exercise would add to my challenges when I returned home when I needed to teach classes, far beyond the jetlag and the attempt to get back to my normal routine.  I didn't want to deal with this additional struggle.  Even more compelling than this was the bridesmaid dress I wanted to slay at the end of the year.  I could not afford to get off track.
2. Set Realistic Expectations - Since I had 4 full days in India, it would have been great to get in 4 exercise sessions since I easily get in more than that over the same span of time while at home.  However, realistically, I knew I'd be dealing with jetlag and I wouldn't arrive to my hotel room until the early morning hours on the first day.  Instead of pressuring myself to complete something unreasonable, I planned for 3 days of exercise.  I wouldn't beat myself up if I only completed 2, but I knew if I got the first day in on Wednesday (day 2 of my trip), the rest of the days would be easy.  

   

   Day 3 - 2nd workout using BOD in my hotel room
3. Create An Action Plan for Success - I checked out the hotel ahead of time to see if there was a gym and thankfully there was, but I also knew I had access to Beachbody on Demand for plenty of great workout options.  I also made sure to pack my workout clothes.  Seems simple, but 'forgetting' workout clothes is a huge excuse for not getting it done!
4. Celebrate Your Success - I documented and shared my workout completions with my accountability group and on social media.  The goal was for me to share my happiness for getting it done.  It is so rewarding to share your wins, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to others.  I'm not doing it for them, I'm doing it for me!

   

   Day 4 - Finishing up my last workout session in the hotel gym

I am happy to say that I wasn't the only one getting my workouts in.  My co-worker was determined to make a change to his routine so he could start feeling better next year.  However, when I shared with him that I completed my first workout on day 2 and asking him about his plans for the Cap10K next year, he was motivated to get started while on the trip.  He successfully completed 2 workout sessions and was extremely proud.  I was super proud too!

My next accountability group is getting started today and there is still time to join us!  We're going to get it ALL DONE during this busy holiday season.  My goal is to help you maintain control over your busy schedule while taking care of you!  We'll all learn and implement simple techniques for managing our busy lives so that we can truly enjoy this holiday season and get next year started right.  Leave a comment here or connect with me on social media and I'll let you know how to get started.  Let's get it #fALLDONE!

Movement Monday: Is Balance a Mission Impossible?

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here.

Many people I know don't make quality themselves.  I will also say that many adults do not even know who they are!  It's not a judgement.  It's an observation.  Although the two statements regarding quality solo time and knowing who you are aren't truly related, combined, they could be a significant indicator of they type of life you are living.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." -- Socrates

When interacting with others, I've observed that people who really take time to get to know

themselves make time for themselves and vice-versa.  They seem to be genuinely happier, have more confidence, friends and achieve more success!  The "go-getters" I'm talking about simply seem to get it all done and they appear to do it with more life and zeal than others around them.  At least that is the presumption to a person on the outside.  Who doesn't want to achieve more and still have fun?

In our busy society, it is a continual struggle to take care of business for your job or career, take care of family obligations and take care of yourself.  When your life is out of whack, you simply feel busy; overwhelmingly busy... annoyingly busy!  For someone who isn't getting it all done, It is believed that if they just had more time, or managed their time better, they would be able to live the life of their dreams too.  It is unfathomable how someone can seem to do so much is even possible.  It is disproportionately believed by people who feel that their life is out of whack, that if they had more time, they would get more exercise, eat better and simply take better care of themselves... then their life would be more balanced?!  At least this is the most common comment I get when friends examine and compare my active life with theirs.  The simple fact that they are making comparisons, lets me know that they are not truly living as they wish to live.  This is a choice.

"Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving." -- Albert Einstein

So what is a balanced life and do you need more of it?

Generally speaking, an unbalanced life may lead to illness, emptiness, failed relationships, and depression.  On the other hand, a balanced life should produce well-being, confidence, a sense of fulfillment, and leisure.

As a working parent, I don't really believe in balance, at least not on a daily basis.  I make many choices each day about how and where I will spend my time based on the priorities I have set in my life.  Depending on the time of year, certain areas of my life require more attention than others and that means I must cut back in other areas or make different choices about the way I get accomplish the task.  This is balance to me; it's my ability to feel in control of the life I lead.

On the other hand, I believe that people that feel overwhelmingly busy or just out of balance react to their days.  They're always operating in an urgent mode; only accountable to that particular daily task while leaving those long-term goals and tasks on the back burner.  It is this avoidance of your dreams and purpose that cause negative feelings, lack of confidence and control.  It is the constant attention to "critical" tasks that keep you feeling drained and leave you with that feeling of overwhelm.

“The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.” -- Irene C. Kassorla

So consider your life in these common areas to measure it's balance, or your sense of control over your life:

1. Physical Health - It's easy to let things like exercise and diet go by the wayside once things get busy, but that's the only body you're going to get and it needs to carry you until the end of the game. That's why it's critical to continue to keep your body strong and healthy enough to enable you to do the things that excite you.  Your goal is to be healthy enough that you won't have to say "no" to anything you want to do
2. Family - Many people claim to spend time with their family, but are you truly present when you spend time together?  Your goal is to make life-long memories and create amazing experiences with those you love and to do that you not only need to know how you tick, but how the members of your family tick.
3. Social - Having people around you that you like and trust is one of the best indicators of living a long life.  Do you take the time to build and cultivate quality relationships?
4. Financial - Good personal financial health gives you a feeling of control and a sense of well-being knowing that you have enough money to have options. If you're working too much, and you don't have the money you need, something is clearly missing in the equation.
5. Business/Career - A key indicator of "balance" in this area is how you feel day-to-day.  Are you excited to be making a difference and making progress-or do you dread the monotony?
6. Civic - How much time are you able to invest in the things you care about in your community? It should excite you when you give of yourself. If you haven't made enough time to give back to the community in which you live, you're missing out on a real emotional payback, because you are rewarded by the act of giving, especially through the giving of your time and talents.
7. Spiritual - This can mean many things to many people, but for me, as a Christian, I measure my relationship with God.  Do we have a close relationship?  Am I being obedient to his word?  Generally speaking, it is whatever fills your spiritual cup. This is how we renew ourselves. 

This is the second is a series of posts about getting it ALL DONE!  Fall is a great time to evaluate what you're doing right now to get it all done!  With kids back in school, most parents have more mission critical activities and responsibilities.  These are the kinds of activities and responsibilities that tend to cause us to feel overwhelm and will lead to burnout if left unchecked. Since I don't know anyone that wants to feel drained and exhausting for their holidays I'm focusing my next online fitness challenge opening October 31st and running through the first day of Winter.  I want you to find YOUR balance so you can learn to get it fALL DONE!

Cauliflower is the New Carb

Who new Cauliflower could be such a trickster?  I've seen many uses for cauliflower on social media, but was always a little skeptical if I could really 'secretly' replace it for some of our starchy staples.  My go-to taste-tester, my teenage son, has grown up sampling many of my food experiments, both good and not so good.  He's typically a good sport and will not only give most things a try, but give me his honest opinion.  He was cool with my Roasted Garlic Faux Mashed Potatoes and even had seconds, but when my dad, who is a super stubborn carb-lover enjoyed them too, I knew I should explore a few more ideas.

I really wanted to try cauliflower pizza crust, but I was only searching halfheartedly because I was warned it was a ton of work and a lot of time for a single meal.  Although I enjoy being in the kitchen, my schedule does not allow for wasted kitchen time.  Plus, some of the pictures I saw of others pizza on the cauliflower crust really didn't look all that appetizing.  I really wanted my son to enjoy a slice or two and I knew that would not happen if it didn't look like a regular pizza.

So, I searched the internet and came up with this recipe: The Secret to Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust.  The title alone made me take a look, because it sounded like exactly what I was looking for.

Showing off the Sous Chef

Plus any opportunity to chop up things in my lovely food processor is exciting.  I highly recommend making the investment, if you haven't already.  It saves a tremendous amount of time.

'Riced' Cauliflower

If you don't have a food processor and want to quickly 'rice' your cauliflower, use a large cheese grater.  Just watch those fingers as you get close to the end!

Boiling the cauli-rice is quick and simple.  Straining it is not if you don't have the right sized strainer.  I ended up buying a super-sized strainer after making this crust because I knew I would make it again and saving time is a must!










If you peeked at the recipe link, you'll know the secret is right here; squeezing the cauli-rice dry.  The cauli-rice will be super hot, so if you have those rubber oven-mitts, use them.















Finally mix up your crust.  The recipe link used goat cheese.  Since I'm not a big fan, I used fresh grated Parmesan.

Crust Ingrediants

Raw crust

The crust was easy to mix and then press into my heart-shaped pizza pan.  You want to keep it pretty thin.  Mine was about 1/4 inch.

Voila!  I LOVE this crust!!

Baked crust

Most importantly, my teen did too!  Here's the pic from my social media post recreating an old Valentine's Day photo.  I know the nutrients in this year's heart crust far out-weight those in the past.  I truly know how to LOVE my family!  XOXO

Movement Monday: Life Lessons from 'The Greatest'

Welcome to this special edition of Movement Monday!  This is an email I send weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After the passing of Muhammad Ali, this past weekend, I was motivated to share my email with everyone... especially since there was so many inspirational quotes that my email would have been much longer than usual.  So I kept the email short and kept the unabridged version here.

To say Muhammad Ali lived a spectacular life is an understatement.  His charisma and charm was catching and he won the hearts of many across the world.  As a good portion of the world mourns his passing, we can take a look at the way he lived his life and the statements he made in life to leave a lasting impact on every person we come in contact with during our life, from here on out.  All quotes today are accredited to The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.

"Live every day like it's your last because someday you're going to be right ."

How many times do we go back on our own promises to ourselves and push things off until tomorrow?  You've been given each day to make the most out of your life.

"What I suffered physically was worth what I've accomplished in life. A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life."

Yes, it will be hard getting from where you are to where you want to be, but it will also be equally as hard to stay where you are.  No one enjoys being stagnant.  Can you imagine looking back and wondering 'if only ...?'  Choose your hard.

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be.  I'm free to be what I want."

Are you living life by design? Are you following your vision?  Are you living your dreams?  Don't worry if you're not quite there.  Just be intentional about living your life and not allowing life to just happen to you. Only you can define what your live should look like.

"I am the greatest.  I said that even before I knew I was."  

You've got to believe that you can achieve your dreams.  Say you are who you want to be every morning and watch yourself get there.

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wears you out, it's the pebble in your shoe." 

How many times do we let the little things keep us from reaching our big goal?  We want to lose weight, for example, but won't make the time to prepare our meals, schedule our workouts or invest in the proper tools we need.  The difficulty of the goal is not what keeps us from reaching it, but our belief that we can not and our unwillingness to get out of our own way. 

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain.  It's not something you learn in school.  But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

Life is measured by the quality of our relationships.  We were meant to be connected to others, so make it a point to take time to build quality relationships.

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

Your gift was meant to be shared with the world. Take the time to develop it and most importantly share it.

"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best.  If you're not, pretend you are."

Sometimes you simply have to fake it until you make it.

This is my absolute favorite!  Take the time to explore your power.  Change impossible to "I'M POSSIBLE!"

Make movement this week!

If this message has helped you in any way, feel free to share with a friend.  Also, if this is something that could get you going weekly, but aren't interested in receiving weekly emails, leave a comment and I may consider this a weekly blog post.  With love... 

EX FIX Chicken - Sweet Potato - Kale Soup

Cold weather causes me to crave soup.  Now that Fall is is full effect and the weather is starting to get a little cooler I want to perfect a few soup recipes to ensure I stay on track when I'm hiding under a few layers..

Right now in Texas, where I live, the cooler temps just means the outdoors are starting to become enjoyable again.  I won't need to start bundling up for at least another month.  But for my mom, who lives is in Colorado where I grew up, the outdoor temperatures are beginning to get down right chilly.  Especially in the morning and evening. People start pulling out their layers to deal with the wide range of temperatures throughout the day.

Regardless of where you live, as temperatures start to drop, nothing warms you better than a delicious bowl of soup!  Sure, nothing warms you like a tasty mug of hot cocoa, but hot cocoa is simply a treat, not a meal.  This tasty nutrient rich soup will warm your soul and keep you on track during the fall and winter months.

EZ FIX Chicken - Sweet Potato - Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 3 C Cubed Cooked Chicken breast (I doubled my Green Chile chicken and added the 2nd batch to the soup)
• 1 Large sweet potato, cubed
• 3 C Kale chopped
• 4 C Chicken Broth
• 4 C Water
• 1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Basil
• 1 tsp. Oregano
• 1 tsp. Marjoram
• 2 tsp. Thyme
• ½ tsp. Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Cook onions in olive oil in a large stock pot.. ( I used a crock pot on low overnight for this batch)
2. Add remaining ingredients
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and Cook until potatoes are tender.

To serve: 

Pour 2 Cups in your favorite soup bowl or mug and ENJOY!

FIX proportions: 2 Cups = 1 Red, 2 Green, ½ Yellow, 1 ½ teaspoons

FIX n' Shred Hatch Green Chile Chicken

Green Chile Pork Taco w/ Coleslaw

Here's Round 2 of my Hatch Chile love!  I don't know what it is I love about 'em.  Maybe it's because they're only around once a year that makes them special, but I find all kinds of tasty dishes to make with them.  This one is no different, except it is so easy to make, and so versatile, I anticipate this becoming a staple in your weekly meal prep.

Pork for team dinner

I first started out making a couple batches of Hatch Chile Pulled Pork in the Ninja.  The first batch was for my son's high school football team dinner.  It was so tasty and involved nearly zero prep, but I was a little sad that all of it was left with the team.  I really didn't expect the 9 pound pork shoulder to make it back home but I hoped it would.

Roasting chiles (plus red peppers)

Truly, it was only 1/8 of the what was necessary to feed the team, so I simply had to make another batch two days later for another football gathering in my home.  It was a hit!  After two rounds of pork, I figured the recipe should work with chicken too.  I bet it will work with a beef shoulder as well, but I have yet to try.  If you try it out, let me know how it turns out, please.  

As I share this delicious simple recipe with you, heed my warning.  Commit the seasonings to memory as this will become a weekly or bi-weekly staple in your house.  It is that SIMPLE and SO TASTY!

If you don't have hatch chiles available or want to save more time, grab 2 7 oz. cans of diced green chiles.  Total prep time with already roasted and peeled chiles is less than 10 minutes.

FIX n' Shred Hatch Green Chile Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 Ninja (recommended) or crock pot
• 3 pounds Chicken breast (can put in frozen)
• 1 Onion, sliced thin
• 3/4 C Pureed Roasted Hatch Green Chiles, peeled and seeded. (~8-9 fresh chiles)
• 1 tsp. Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cumin
• 1/2 Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Dried Sage
• 1 Hand Mixer

Directions:

1. Place the onions in the pot
2. Top with chicken
3. Top the chicken with green chiles and spices
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours
5. Shred with hand mixer on low setting.

To serve: 

Night 1 Dinner

Add to corn tortillas with coleslaw for tacos, mix in soup, serve on top of salad or with veggies.  The first night I enjoyed with faux garlic mashed potatoes and green beans for a super delicious dinner.

FIX proportions: 1 Red.

Enjoy!

Quick FIX Frittata

This veggie frittata is a delicious and super easy anytime meal portion for the Quick 21 Day Fix.

Quick FIX Frittata

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons of olive or avocado oil
• 8 eggs
• 8 Cups veggies (5 C chopped spinach, 1 C green onions, 1 C mushroom, 1 Red Bell pepper)
• 2 Blue containers (1/2 C) grated Parmesan and/or Mozzarella cheese (opt.)
• Pink Himalayan sea salt, black pepper & oregano to taste.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Saute veggies in hot oil until spinach is wilted. (About 4 minutes)
3. Beat 8 eggs.
4. Add seasonings and cheese.
5. Pour into pan with veggies. Stir slowly so it's well mixed, leaving the heat on.
6. Transfer pan to oven and bake 15 minutes.

Let  set for 5 minutes outside the oven before dividing into 4 equal pieces. 1 serving is 1/4 of the frittata.

FIX proportions: 1 Red, 2 Green, 1/2 Blue, 1 teaspoon.

Enjoy!

Take Me Back to Jamaica - Jerk Chicken and Shrimp

Jerk Pork Chop Dinner

Only a few short months ago, I had the honor of watching two dear friends commit their lives to one another in the beautiful city of Negril, Jamaica.  Everything I went through to ensure I could keep my commitment and witness this once in a lifetime event was out of this world and enough for a completely different blog post that I'll have to share soon, but it made my time there even more special.  I will always remember the inviting hospitality, the welcoming atmosphere, the great company of old and new friends alike, the beautiful beaches and of course the delicious jerk seasoning they had on several of the dishes I tried.

My crew

When I first decided to make jerk 'something' I was in search of something I could make that would be tasty enough for me and exciting enough that my teenage son wouldn't get bored with the leftovers.  I remembered a Jerk Catfish recipe from a Cooking Light magazine I did a few years back and luckily I still had the seasoning.  Have you ever found yourself trying out new recipe that calls for a whole bunch of seasonings you don't actually carry in your kitchen?  You go out an buy it and then never really use it again!  I got so fed up with my overflowing non-existent spice cupboard that when I moved out of that house I took a spice purchasing sabbatical.  I was only allowed to buy common spices when I ran out.

Selfie time!

I digress, so back to my dilemma with the Jerk Catfish seasoning...When I checked the ingredients of the seasoning blend, I saw the first item listed was SUGAR!  "Nooooo!," I thought.  This would not do for my 21 Day Fix Extreme eating, so I searched online for a sugar free version.  I settled with this recipe:  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014722-no-fuss-jerk-chicken, and it did not disappoint.  Even though I did not have all the ingredients, I had enough to make it work.  I actually doubled the recipe so I could use it with the shrimp and chicken I had.  I will list a single batch recipe as I made it, but check out the link for the true recipe as I'm sure I will go through the effort to get some of the real stuff next time, if they make sense.

Jerk Chicken (or Shrimp, or whatever you choose!)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground Allspice
• 1 Tablespoon dried Thyme

  

  Mixed seasonings

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Jalapenos (the spice factor for jalapenos is very low compared to the habanero chiles.  I wanted to be sure my son would eat this first time around)
• 6 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger thickly sliced
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• Juice of 2 large limes
• 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken tenders, shrimp or whatever you choose

Marinating...

Directions:

Broiled Jerk Shrimp

1. Combine allspice, thyme, garlic, jalapenos (or chiles), scallions, peppercorns, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and lime juice in a blender or food processor and grind to a rough paste.
2. Put meat in a baking dish or plastic Ziploc bag.  Add seasoning paste and coat well.
3. Cover dish or seal bag tightly and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees for chicken or turn on broiler for shrimp.
5. Bring meat to room temperature.
6. Bake/Broil uncovered until well browned and juices run clear when probed with a paring knife - about 20-25 minutes for chicken tenders and 10 minutes for shrimp, turning halfway.

Meal packaged for RJ

Servings: Use your red container to measure your protein, but I found that 1 Red container = 1 1/2 - 2 tenders or 10 shrimp.  This was easy to add with the veggies I roasted during the week or I added them to a spinach salad and sometimes paired with a sweet potato.


Enjoy Mon!

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