Low Carb Your Life

When I went to the Tony Robbins seminar back in November, I was in my second week of the Whole 30 program. The Whole 30 wasn't too different from how I was already eating except that I was eating WAY more meat. I totally loved the recipes on the plan, but something just didn't feel right for me.  One day of the seminar was dedicated entirely to health and nutrition. During that day I heard several things that turned me off of wanting to eat meat. When I returned, I really just wanted to stay away from it. From there I decided to do the Ultimate Reset Cleanse which slowly eliminates meat from your diet.  During the cleanse I did not do any intense workouts, just light yoga. When I completed the cleanse I found it interesting that I still just did not feel like eating meat. I started a new fitness program which was a little more intense and continued to eat similar to the cleanse for the next 60 days. Which brings me to the current moment. I now have started the

I am starting a new series where each Thursday I will try out a new clean eating recipe that I find online and share with you all how it is. I decided to go back to my Italian roots for this first recipe and try out a vegan lasagna. This particular recipe which I got over at Hummusapien  was easy to make, dairy-free, and absolutely delicious! I give this one two thumbs up! Highly recommended!  INGREDIENTS: 6-9 whole wheat lasagna noodles  1lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed 5 oz. garlic hummus 1/4 cup nutritional yeast  1/2 cup chopped spinach  1tsp. garlic powder  1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt  1/2 tsp. dried basil  1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce  DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F Cook your lasagna noodles  In the meantime, in a large bowl crumble tofu with your hands until it resembles the texture of ricotta cheese.  Add hummus, nutritional yeast, spinach, garlic, salt, and basil. Using your hands, mix ingredients together until it becomes

I was locked down in chains. My anxiety and depression had completely taken over my life. I used it as an excuse to not go after the things I wanted, and as a crutch to not step outside of my comfort zone. I was about to settle. I was about to just accept that being unhappy was my fate. Luckily something woke me up... I was at the lowest point I had ever been at. I woke up on Nov. 1st totally hung over with no recollection of what had happened the night before. The night before I had hosted a Halloween party. About 100 people got dressed up and headed over to my place for drinking games, and fun. I was the only one not having fun. I had finally came to the realization that I just wasn't happy with the way things were. I could no longer use alcohol or excuses, I had to take ownership of my life and make a change.  My change started with my own personal health and fitness but quickly escalated to freedom and purpose. I took my new found passion for health and fi

During the winter months, I am all about homemade soup! This Winter Lentil was definitely up there on my top 10. The original recipe called for sweet potato but I am a Japanese Yam addict so I made a substitution. It was very easy to make with limited prep although please be aware that leeks affect your eyes in the same way as onions :) Enjoy! INGREDIENTS: 1 Tablespoon olive oil  4 leeks (white and light green part), cut into 1/4 inch-thick half-moons 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces  1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch wide strips 1/2 cup brown lentils  1 Tablespoon fresh thyme  Himalayan salt and black pepper 6 cups of water DIRECTIONS: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the drained tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for about 4-5 min

Couples all across the world take Valentine's Day very seriously spending an average of  $13,290,000,000. V-Day is also one of the biggest restaurant nights of the year which often involves appetizers, heavy dinners, lavish desserts, and drinks. Celebrating this special day with your loved one is awesome, just in case you want to enjoy your night without adding inches to your waistline, here are some tips!  #1 Hold The Bread!  I either decline the bread completely or make sure the basket is as FAR away from me as possible. If you would like a piece of bread, take one and keep the basket moving! My father has a cool little trick of only eating the crust of the bread if that is helpful to you.  #2 Customize Your Meal!  Don't be afraid to ask your server to make modifications to your meal. When I am out to eat I always put the sauce or dressing on the side so I can control how much goes on, and substitute green veggies for the carb.  Notice how the ite

I am all about completing what you started, but I am abandoning my PiYo workout with just two weeks left. If one of my challengers came to my and told me that they weren't going to complete their entire program, I would likely try to persuade them to complete it. So why am I not holding myself to the same standard?  I decided to commit to PiYo after completing the Ultimate Reset Cleanse and 3 Week Yoga Retreat. I wanted to continue to build my core and give myself a steady base after resetting my body. This was perfect at that time because I was also going to be traveling for an entire month and since I have Beachbody All-Access and PiYo doesn't require any equipment I could do it from anywhere. I decided to go with the "Strength" calendar which is a little harder and very quickly realized that PiYo was no joke! My buns were burning, and the massive amount of lunges and squats involved were building some serious muscle in my legs.  When I returned fr

I haven't been eating any meat lately so have been trolling the internet for good vegetarian recipes. I came across this chili recipe from realsimple.com and had to share it with you all! It was quick and easy to make and tasted absolutely delicious. Definitely hit the spot on a cold and snowy day here in Boston! INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup bulgur wheat 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 large onion, chopped  1 green bell pepper, chopped  2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. chili powder Salt & Pepper 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped DIRECTIONS: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add bulgur and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender. 12-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook until tender. 6-8 minutes. 

The first thing I do when I pick an item off the shelf when grocery shopping is I turn it around and read the ingredients! Simple right? Not always! Many companies have found ways to confuse consumers by using long words, and different names for ingredients. It may be difficult to navigate those labels, but today I am here today to give you a few tips on how to read them correctly!  Tip #1 Ingredients Often Have More Than One Name  One way to trick a consumer is to give the same ingredient several different names. First things first, ingredients are listed by quantity. The first ingredient is the one that there is most of, but that doesn't always tell you the whole story. When it comes to sodium, added sugars, and dangerous fats, all which can negatively affect your health, it can be quite difficult to really know how much is in your product. The reason for this is that these ingredients can actually go by several different names.  For example, sugar can also b

I had the most amazing vegan tacos last night! I had never considered putting a radish into my taco, but boy am I glad I tried it! This was another recipe that I found over at  ifoodreal  and it was one you should try out! I have been loving what I have found over on their site! I did change up their recipe a bit and add some of the black bean burgers that I had made the night before to the sauteed kale. It was absolutely delicious! If you try them out, let me know what you think!! INGREDIENTS: 1 large bunch of curly kale, stalks removed and finely chopped. 2 large tomatoes, sliced 1 bunch radishes, sliced Corn Tortillas 1 lime, sliced 3 Tbsp. coconut oil 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp. Himalayan pink salt  Salsa Guacamole 3 avocados  Handful cilantro, finely chopped Lime juice to taste Salt to taste DIRECTIONS: Prepare all vegetables. Make guacamole.  Preheat large skillet on low and swirl 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to coat the pan. St