Low Carb Your Life

Recently my brother has hit some unexpected road bumps. He lost his partner of 10 years, got laid off from his job, and had to move cross country all in a 3 month span. Needless to say he was pretty down. Not only was he down, but his health was suffering. He needed something to lift his spirits and health at the same time. I did the Ultimate Reset Cleanse in October of 2012 and felt amazing after. I had bought another Ultimate Reset Cleanse with the intention of doing it again, but I hadn't. When I first started noticing my brothers health decline (before any of his road bumps hit), I had decided that I was going to give it to him to do. It sat there for a long time. Finally about 3 weeks ago he was ready. I was so excited for him, because I knew it was the kick start he needed to get himself back together. This blog post is a little look into his journey. The Night Before: I knew I had to get Jason mentally prepared for what was about to go down. This isn't a

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 serving) 3 medium carrots, grated 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)  1 clove garlic, chopped 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground paprika  1 dash cinnamon  1/2 tsp. Himalayan Salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste; optional) DIRECTIONS  Combine carrots, oil, lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne (if desired) in large bowl; mix well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving. 

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 serving) 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped ginger root 2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos  1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded (4 cups) 1/2 medium carrot, shredded 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced 2 green onions, thinly sliced 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro Himalayan salt (to taste; optional) DIRECTIONS Combine vinegar, lime juice, oil, ginger, and Bragg Liquid Aminos in a small bowl; mix well. Combine cabbage, carrot, red and green onions, cilantro, and salt (if desired) in a large bowl; mix well. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to blend. Let salad marinate, covered, in a refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 serving) 1 cup water 1 medium sweet potato (or yam), peeled, cubed 1/4 medium red bell pepper 1 tsp. finely grated ginger root 1 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp. miso paste, mixed with 2 Tbsp. hot water 1 cup vegetable broth (or water) Bragg Liquid Aminos (or himalayan salt, to taste; optional) Herbal seasoning blend (to taste; optional) DIRECTIONS Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add sweet potato; cook for 5-7 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Roast bell pepper on grill or gas stovetop. Turn frequently until skin is evenly charred. Place in medium bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel for 10 minutes. Peel skin under running water. Remove seeds. Chop into 1/2-inch cubes.  Place sweet potato, bell pepper, ginger, oil, miso, and broth in a blender or food processor, in 2 or more batches if necessary; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth. If consistency is too thick, add water. Heat soup in a medium sau

So good! It can be served hot or cold and either way was delicious! INGREDIENTS (makes 1 serving) 1 Medium cucumber,  peeled, coarsely chopped 1 Medium ripe avocado, cut into chunks 4 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro (reserve 1/2 tsp. for garnish) 4 tsp. fresh lime juice 1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt 1/4 small jalapeno, seeded, diced (optional) 3/4 cup water (or more, if needed) Bragg Liquid Aminos (to taste; optional) DIRECTIONS Place cucumber, avocado, 3 1/2 tsp. cilantro, lime juice, salt, jalapeno, water, and Bragg Liquid Aminos in a blender or food processor, in 2 or more batches if necessary; cover with lid and blend until smooth. If consistency is too thick, add additional water. Pour into a large bowl. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours before serving if desired. Garnish with cilantro before serving. 

So I know that most of you see my health and fitness related posts and recipes, but did you know that I actually make a living doing it? When my coach Melanie approached  me about becoming a coach I had every excuse in the book why I shouldn't do it. I was not at my fitness goal yet, I did not have a background in fitness or nutrition, I didn't believe that anyone cared what I had to say. Although I kept telling myself all of those things, something kept pulling me toward becoming a coach. I felt a passion deep inside me that I just couldn't ignore.  The thing is, to be a Team Beachbody coach you don't need to have the perfect body, or be a trainer, or nutritionist. All you need is to lead by example, be a positive influence, and motivate others. My own fitness transformation was great, but I can honestly say what really changed me for the better, was becoming a coach. I now get paid to help other people achieve their health and fitness goals. I love my job, and

The first people think about when it comes to weight loss is stepping on a scale. Everything they do is usually based around how to get that number down. Shows like biggest loser focus mainly on the scale (don't get me wrong I love that show), but the scale does not tell the full story. I am here to tell you why I don't believe that the number on the scale is all that important.  In the first 90 days of my fitness journey I only lost 3 pounds....yes 3! I was extremely frustrated and haunted by that number. I didn't understand how I could have made such a huge change in my eating habits and workouts, but see little change on the scale. Luckily I had a coach who convinced me to stick with what I was doing. Had I focused on that number, I would of assumed my plan wasn't working and quit. Thank god I took pics and measurements in addition to stepping on the scale. Had I not taken pics and measurements, who knows where I would be today. Although the scale wasn

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 serving) 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 medium carrot, cut into thin diagonal slices 1 medium celery stalk, cut into thin diagonal slices 1/2 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger 2 cups water 1/4 cup broccoli florets 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh green beans 1/4 cup shredded bok choy 1 Tbsp. wakame seaweed 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 1 Tbsp. green onion, sliced 1 Tbsp. miso paste (mixed with 2 Tbsp. hot water) DIRECTIONS  Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add water;cook at a gentle boil on low for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add broccoli, green beans, bok choy, and seaweed; cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove from heat. Add sesame oil, green onion, and miso; mix well. 

I am definitely breaking out this recipe at Thanksgiving next year. I might be a little obsessed. It combines beets and yams which are two of my favorite veggies. Easy to make, tastes amazing!  INGREDIENTS 1/4 medium yam, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 medium carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 medium beet, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/4 medium onion, peeled, cut into large wedges 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil Himalayan salt (to taste; optional) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine yam, carrot, beet, onion, oil, and salt (if desired); mix well. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes, or until tender, turning once or twice.