Paleo Donuts. Oh yes.

Paleo Donut Experiment:

(This is how my experiments start - I pull out anything that could be semi-relevant)

I literally have not had a donut since I was maybe 19-20? I've been gluten free for three years and paleo for about one and a half. I was talking to a friend the other night and randomly was like "what about paleo donuts?!", maybe 10 minutes later I was ordering a donut pan with my Amazon Prime account and was ecstatic when it arrived. This is an experiment that most definitely went RIGHT. Nom nom nom...

Base Donut Recipe (makes 6ish standard size):
I quadrupled this recipe and ended up with 36 donuts somehow... whoops.

-4 large eggs, room temperature (I used omega cage free eggs)
-¼ cup melted coconut oil (and some to grease the pan)
-½ cup coconut palm sugar or honey or maple (I quadrupled this recipe and did 1/2 palm sugar, 1/4             maple and 1/4 honey for kicks)
-¼ cup full-fat coconut milk from a can (scoop off the coconut cream and reserve for your frostings!)
-1 teaspoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-½ cup almond flour,
-¼ cup coconut flour
-½ teaspoon baking soda
-¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix your sugar of choice, eggs and melted coconut oil together until smooth and slightly fluffy. Mix in your coconut milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Mix in your salt, baking soda and slowly start to mix in your flours. Mix well to get any clumps out! It should be about the consistency of pancake batter. 

In your greased donut pan fill pan slightly more than 3/4 full and place in the over. Bake for 15-18 minutes - should be a nice golden brown on top. 

Now the fun part!! There are a million different varieties you can make and honestly they're pretty damn good on their own!

Dark Chocolate Coconut

Melt organic dark chocolate with a little almond/coconut milk and coconut oil - drizzle once they come out of the over and sprinkle on organic coconut flakes!

Maple bacon pecan - finely chop up bacon (I used uncured peppered bacon), mix together a little melted coconut oil, pure maple syrup & I added in just a little coconut cream to thicken it up. 

The only non-paleo glaze - butterscotch cinnamon. I had some butterscotch chips I wanted to use up so I melted them with a little almond/coconut milk and drizzled it on top with a little cinnamon.

Strawberry Chia Coconut Cream - Mash strawberries in a cup well, add in coconut cream and stir well and I added maybe 1TB of chia to thicken it up a bit (no added sugar!)

Because I still had a lot of batter I also made a quick, easy lemon glaze of lemon juice, palm sugar, and  some shredded lemon rind. It wasn't the prettiest one but probably my favorite!

Extra Pumpkin? Kick Ass Fall Paleo Pumpkin Soup

 Don't waste pumpkin! It should be a crime!

My awesome friend Ryan got pumpkins for us to carve on Halloween as we wanted a low-key, relaxed Halloween.... well he got enough for the few people that came over but besides Ryan and I the other people got too distracted with wine... it happens.

There has been this perfectly good pumpkin sitting on my front porch and I needed to use him up. I hate waste. So I threw this concoction together in this episode of Mik's Makeshift Mad Scientist Kitchen....

Kick-Ass Fall Paleo Pumpkin Soup:

1 Leftover lonely Pumpkin (must be lonely or currently on clearance - poor guys)
(Prep your pumpkin first so it can cool down: I cut the top off, cut it into chunks and baked it flesh side down covered in foil for about 40 minutes - worked WAY better baking it flesh side down)
2 Pieces Bacon - I used humanely raised Jalapeño Bacon from Whole Foods
1 Carton Unsalted Oraganic all natural chicken broth
1/2 onion chopped
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1-2 stalks of celery chopped (adds a savory flavor)
3 carrots chopped (adds sweetness)
1 bunch of sage split 1/2 and 1/2
Coconut Milk (I used this awesome Califa Toasted Coconut Milk also from Whole Foods)
Curry Powder
Cumin
Cayenne
Salt
Cinnamon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh Ground Ginger (optional - dried is fine too)
Balsamic Vinegar to garnish - optional but not really makes it AMAZING

First you want to fry up half of your sage - you want just the leaves and I usually give them a few rough tears - heat up enough coconut oil to just cover the bottom of the pot on med/high - they won't look fried but take them off about 10 seconds in or they will burn.... trust me. 

Set that off to the side. In your large pot add in your two pieces of chopped bacon, onions and garlic brown for a bit on medium/high heat then stir in the other half of your sage chopped. Add in your spices and here is where I am terrible.. I never measure things. Maybe 1TB of curry powder, 1TB of cumin, 1/2tsp-1tsp cayenne, 1/2TB cinnamon, salt & pepper. 

After that add in your carton of chicken broth (4 cups), carrots, celery and bring to a boil. Boil until carrots and celery are soft - while waiting for that to happen scoop your pumpkin from the skin into a bowl. 

I decided to puree the pumpkin with coconut milk in my magic bullet and add it batch by batch into my pot. Mixed that all in and removed it from heat, let it cool a little and pureed everything once again. Serve hot with a few dashes of balsamic and some of your fried sage crumbled. I honestly was pretty dang stoked how it came out!

Eat plenty, smile, be happy and shit. 

Operation Six Pack

Hey gang - I created this last year and it was an awesome jumpstart to get ready for bikini season! I need to do a little more editing and add some more details but I thought I would post and see who wants to get on board with me for this challenge!

Disclaimer: What works for me may not work for everyone – I am NOT a dietician, nutritionist nor personal trainer. Feel free to ask me questions but ultimately if you have concerns contact your doctor/nutritionist/personal trainer. Just have to throw that in there. :)

This will not be easy, but I let in some things that some diet plans cut out. My goal is to make this doable, to make you feel accomplished and not that you have failed in any way. I do not promise overnight results because frankly, they don’t exist. I do promise that after you read this…. And you go take a bunch of before pictures (seriously go do this and don't forget! It makes this so much more fun!) in 7 weeks you will look in the mirror and not be able to say much more than “wow”. 

YOU CAN DO IT! Follow me on instagram @fitmik and join the facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamneonchallenge/

I am only human too and rely on you all to keep me on track – we all motivate each other we are a team… a fit family. The more you participate the more you will get out it! Share your tips, your trials, your recipes!

After the 49 day challenge submit your pictures to be considered to win a prize pack of a bunch of healthy goodies! mikaelaacrist@gmail.com Subject: Operation Six Pack Photos

Operation 6 Pack: 7 Week Challenge

General Guidelines:

-Plan ahead! If you are not used to eating every 3-4 hours then really focus on planning your next day ahead. It's ok to start small and soon you’ll be planning your next week ahead without a problem. Keep healthy snacks in your gym bag, in your car, at work.. keep them available and accessible. 

-Eat breakfast (IMPORTANT) and try a minimum of four other meals a day. Breakfast provides energy after eight hours of fasting and kick-starts your metabolism for the day. Eating regularly throughout the day ensures your energy levels do not drop. Your body expends energy to process and assimilate each meal, thus raising your metabolism. Do not deprive yourself of food in the mistaken belief this will help you lose belly fat. Lack of food will cause your metabolism to slow down as your body seeks to conserve energy. This causes fat gain, which can obscure your abdominal muscles and sabotage your attempt to get a six pack.

-GET ACTIVE: Honestly, it's just that, get active. If you can’t get in the gym do a home bodyweight workout (I have some on instagram and will post more). Hike, yoga, rock climb, ride a bike, jump rope, run your dog, crossfit, bootcamps, whatever will get your blood pumping. Start with at least 180 minutes a week that translates to about 25 minutes a day but work it the way you want to. If you want to train an hour one day because you have some days where you don’t have the time? No problem. Try to do something active every day. When I have my 15 hour work days I do crunches, push-ups and pull- ups before bed even if it's 5-10 minutes at least I got something in.  Invest in some resistance bands (cheap at Marshalls/Ross), a jump rope, stability ball, pull-up bar to use at home if you do have a crazy schedule.

-WEIGHT TRAIN - Even if not traditional weight lifting, USE YOUR MUSCLES. (No, you’re not going to get bulky if you’re female- It takes INTENSE determination to get that kind of definition.) Muscle burns fat even at rest. You want a 6-pack? Guess what? Abdominals will show more if worked hard just like any other muscle. You don't even need a fancy gym membership many bodyweight exercises can achieve the same results. 

-Cook with coconut oil - Avoid cooking sprays (Ie: Pam). According to a study by Kagawa Nutrition University reported in the November 2001 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition," coconut oil suppresses the accumulation of body fat. The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil also provide an alternative energy source and do not cause fat gain. I get a big tub of organic coconut oil for about $16 delivered from Amazon and I have heard Costco has a great deal on it as well. 

-Use spices that add flavor without the calories: black pepper, cayenne, herbs, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, lemon, curry, Mrs. Dash seasonings, 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's are all great! 

-Drinks a lot of water. I can not stress this enough. They say somewhere around 75% of the time you think you're hungry you are actually thirsty. Chug a glass of water first, wait a few minutes and see if that satisfies you before unnecessary snacking. The first thing I do when I wake up is pound a glass of water it's a great way to wake your organs up and rehydrate your body after fasting all night.

-I personally follow the paleo diet pretty strictly (What is Paleo? http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/) but there are some things on the grocery list that are not paleo. Again, what works well for me may not be right for you but if you'd like to follow my plan check my instagram 99% of what I post is paleo. 

First 2 weeks KICKSTART: Get that metabolism fired up!

NO Cheats - detox your body. No sugar, processed foods, fried foods, potatoes, refined flours, sugars, and you should never consume anyway: hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, fast food. 

Try to stay away from prepackaged meals as they are usually loaded with sodium and preservatives. For example: canned soups, frozen meals, hot dogs, chips, white rice, most breakfast cereals (loaded with sugar), candy, cookies, crackers (whole grain no added salts/sugars - hard to find but they're there like Mary's Crackers), none to very limited dairy (no cheese, milk, ice cream, sugar loaded yogurts. See notes below about greek yogurt and cottage cheese), soda, excess juice (if you're usually a soda drinker try 80% Seltzer water and 20% all natural no sugar added juice), and please never drink diet drinks loaded with splenda, aspartame and chemicals. 

Banana’s only 1-2 times a week - if desired

1 oz 70%+ dark chocolate allowed 2-3 times a week

NO ALCOHOL (Some said this was the hardest so throughout the first two weeks how about 1-2 glasses of red wine or a clear alcohol cocktail. NO beer during the whole challenge {trust me I love beer, it's not easy}).
Try not to eat carbs within 4 hours of bedtime (honestly this has dramatically helped my sleep too!)

On the last day of the kickstart feel free to take it off and enjoy it! Don’t go overboard but you've earned a little indulgence. What you'll realize is many of your cravings will have started to fade and you won't want to indulge and ruin your hard work. 

The next three weeks: Lowering body fat increasing muscle & definition

All of the above except:

Allowed ONE cheat meal a week - again don't get too crazy.

If you're craving it a potato/potato dish (not loaded with cheese!) is allowed twice in the three weeks

Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and if you're someone that needs that little bit of milk in your coffee go for it.. 

Twice during the three weeks - whole grain or gluten free pasta is ok but load it up with good stuff – better to eat this as a lunch time meal so you’re not sleeping on those carbs!

1 oz 75% plus dark chocolate is allowed 3-4 times a week

1 night a week you can have a glass of red wine if desired

The last two weeks! HOME STRETCH! MAKE IT COUNT!

Kick up your cardio and work outs as you should have built up some stamina by now! Do something active 6 days a week - even 7 if you can. Of course we all need rest so don't overdo it! Get outside and go on a hike not every day has to be a strenuous workout. 

Allowed one cheat meal a week but make it a “healthy cheat” – you’ve worked so hard don’t throw it away!

1 night a week indulge in a few glasses of wine or 2 clear cocktails if desired

Keep your starches to a minimum (no potatoes, no pastas, no flours)

Keep your fruits minimal - fruit is good for you but many people overdo it - an apple before a workout, some berries in a smoothie is fine but go for more protein in snacks as the sugar in fruit 

Kick up your water intake

-----The Good Eats List-----

Black Coffee
Herbal Teas
Oatmeal (steelcut/old fashioned oats, no added sugar use cinnamon, spices & raisins)

Brown Rice (eat quinoa whenever you can or mashed cauliflower instead!)

Quinoa

Sweet Potatoes & Yams

Eggs (Do not eat egg whites only. Egg yolks contain protein, together with vitamins, minerals and fat-burning omega-3 essential fatty acids.)

Turkey Breast (stay away from deli meats unless you find nitrate free & reduced sodium)

Ground Turkey

Chicken Breast

Ground Chicken

Buffalo

Bison

Fish

Seafood

Grass Fed Beef

Pork Loin

Bacon (uncured preferred. Try to keep to no more than twice a week)

Beans (not refried – WHOLE)

Flax Seeds

Hemp Seeds

Chia Seeds

Cottage Cheese

Almonds 

Pistachios

Avocado

Apple

Berries

Oranges

Peanut Butter – With no added anything should just be nuts!

Almond Butter – “  “

Sunbutter- “  “

Green Tea

Lots of Water

Supplements I use:

A good multivitamin

Fish oil or CLA

Raw Protein Powder like SunWarrior for immediately after my workouts (or if you have a favorite that isn’t full of sugar and additives whatever you prefer)

Green Superfood powder (wheatgrass, spirulina, algae’s, seaweeds etc)

Get on the instagram following and facebook group and I'm always here to support you too!

Love & Health,

Mikaelaa

Craving Pumpkin Pie? Paleo Protein Pumpkin Pie Muffins & Cake

Please note while my phone is in the shop I am borrowing a 3G iphone so sorry for the terrible pictures :(

I have had this organic can of pumpkin sitting around for way too long.. Our coolness consisted of a 4 hour rainstorm the other night but that was enough to trigger my longing for everything fall. Greg & both have serious pumpkin spice addictions. We love ANYTHING pumpkin spice. I wanted a treat that would satisfy my fall "tooth" and sweet tooth at the same time without sacrificing my diet... And.....

Paleo Protein Pumpkin Muffins/Cake & Greek Yogurt Frosting (optional)

Whatcha need:

1 Big can 29oz of organic pumpkin - nothing added, just pumpkin!
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
2 Scoops Vanilla NanoPro Whey (The highest quality, most easily digested, lean protein powder)
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup "Milk" I used my Almond/Coconut milk - My fav! Unsweetened of course
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Soda
1-2 TB Pure Maple Syrup or Stevia
1 TB Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp ground ginger (I was out but usually would have used it!)

-You can bake this into any form you please.. I realized my bread pan is missing so I may it into a spring form cake pan & muffin pan -

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grab two medium sized bowls and in bowl mix together all of your dry ingredients: coconut flour, almond flour, whey protein, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & ginger. In the other mix your wet ingredients: pumpkin, eggs - 1 at a time, your milk, and maple syrup. In both bowls mix ingredients well together than slowly add in your dry ingredients to your wet - again stirring well to make sure everything is combined.

In a well oiled pan fill it to your desired height - these will barely rise if at all. Bake for 35-45 minutes depending on pan. 35 minutes for my muffin pan and about 45 for my "cake" due to the density of this recipe remember even after you remove it from the oven it will continue to cook a little.

Let cool and devour if the wonderful aroma in your house doesn't kill you first!

^This is all Paleo v this is not

Greek yogurt cinnamon "frosting"

You need:
4 TBS Greek Yogurt - I always use plain Fage - my fav!
Lots of Cinnamon
2 TBs Maple Syrup
Scoop of Cake Batter Protein powder - optional and I actually liked it better without

In my bullet I threw roughly 4 tbs greek yogurt, a good amount of cinnamon and 2 TBS maple syrup... It had a great texture and I honestly should have left it there but I got greedy and added in a half scoop of cake batter whey and it made the texture much more runny.

Because of the runny texture I rebaked the cake for about 10-15 minutes at 400 so it wouldn't get soggy.

Fall = time for Kombocha Sage Bacon Soup

So I got these funny looking squashes from my dad turns out they are Kobocha squash, which I have been hearing a lot about lately. Weather here in SoCal is for lack of a better word... AWESOME. Sorry. But living near the coast we sometimes get a few weeks blanketing in the marine layer which makes me want to get all cozy and eat yummy soup... It was one of those mornings when I decided to tackle my unknown opponent.. I mean err ingredient.

Whatcha Need:

1-2 Medium Kobocha Squashes - halved & seeded (preheat oven to 400)
1 Package/1 Ounce/30ish Sage leaves divided - 1/3 leaves, 2/3 chopped
3 Uncured Thick Bacon Slices
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 32oz Carton Organic Chicken Broth or 4 Cups homemade
2 Cups water
1 Tb Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
Coconut Oil
Balsamic Vinegar - I used Fig & Orange from World Market

With your oven preheated to 400 place your squash cut side down on greased pans and roast until soft about 45 minutes-1 hour. When cool enough scrape flesh from the skin & blend in blender or bullet - used a tiny tiny bit of my almond/coconut milk to help it blend faster. - I know many people do it at the end but I feel like this is easier and I like the chunks of the other ingredients in the soup-

Find the smallest little saucepan and put enough oil to get a good 3/4-1 inch and heat it up to medium-high. Fry 1/3 of the sage, whole leaves, in small batches until crisp about 4-6 seconds and transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.

Slice your 3 pieces of bacon into chunks and place at the bottom of a large soup pot and cook on medium-high heat, add in chopped onion and minced garlic, cook bacon until a place you would usually take the bacon off and consume - take out maybe 1/2 a slice of bacon and set on the paper towel with your fried sage. Add in the rest of your sage and stir. Stir here and there until very fragrant about a minute or two.

Add in your vinegar, broth, water and squash and stir well. If you're in a rush just let your soup meld for about 20 minutes but I cooked mine a good 40 minutes.

Serve in a bowl with some of your fried sage & bacon crushed on top, fresh ground black pepper and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar.

SO GOOD! Again DON'T FEAR THE FAT! You can eat bacon & enjoy it... just I personally wouldn't every day. Hope you all enjoy this fall inspired soup! I bet this would be great with butternut or pumpkin in place of the Kobucha squash too!

Homemade Teriyaki Tuna Bellies, Grilled Veggies & BBQ Chicken

Tonight I wanted to change it up a bit... although I love making homemade sushi, and stir fry's I really need to diversify on my Asian Cuisine. So why not homemade teriyaki? The store bought stuff usually has corn syrup or MSG or wheat... or all three (no joke!). Not that is "healthy" but with the strong taste of teriyaki you really don't need much and especially with fish a little bit goes a long way.

Homemade Gluten Free Teriyaki:

In a small saucepan place:

1.5 cups cold water
3/4 Brown Sugar (sorry guys but you really just need to use good ol sugar for this)
1/2 Gluten Free Soy Sauce or I used Bragg's Amino's and filled the cup to just shy of 1/2 Cup
1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
2.5-3 TBs Coconut Flour
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (optional)

Place pot over medium heat and stir well, whisk it pretty continually (careful not to turn your back too long haha), you will see the color get darker and start to thicken up when that happens take it off the heat and set aside.

This really would be good with a variaty of fish! Salmon, ahi, other white fish? I let the teriyaki cool and then marinated the fish in it for about 30 minutes. Made a foil tray/pocket for the BBQ and it was cooking for about 15-20 minutes just keep an eye on it.. most fish turns a different color when it's cooked and that's what I used as my indicator that it was done. Yummmmmm! I ate it with grilled veggies and it was great... I think you could even use this recipe to make a good stir fry, marinate chicken breasts.. or? Be creative!


For the boys I just made them a bunch of chicken legs BBQ style.. nothing too special but they all loved them!


More recipes to come! Also, if you ever have a special request for something you would like to see please let me know!

You want Pizza? Cauliflower Crust Pizza. You're Welcome (jk)

You want pizza? Well duh, don't we all love the Italian Originated Americanized creation?! I don't do gluten, you don't do empty carbs... well do I have good news or what!

My wonderful boyfriend Greg is somewhat of a picky eater.. but if this is Greg approved & he actually really enjoyed it, I think you'll love it too :)

Cauliflower Crust:

1-2 Heads of Cauliflower - depending how many 1 head = 2 9" individual pizzas
1-3 eggs - we used a head and a half and did 2 eggs
Basil
Rosemary
Park Skim Mozzarella shredded

Sauce: We used canned :( usually I make my own but it was getting too late! Just make sure you get sauce with no added sugars, not a lot of salt or random stuff you can't pronounce ;)

Topping:

-Really this is all you! Hawaiian? Margarita? (Basil, tomatoes, light cheese lots of sauce)
-He did: Bell peppers, basil
-I did: Mushrooms & basil (we were low on veggies but it was delicious)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grate your cauliflower heads we used 1.5 as I wanted to some leftover cauliflower for the next day. Microwave for 8 minutes and let cool. Then I mixed in 2 full eggs, a bunch of fresh basil, rosemary and a small handful of the shredded mozzarella - Mix well together and (for the amount I made) I split it into 2 9" crusts onto a well greased pan. *Note: next time I will cornmeal the bottom! I totally forgot! - this is optional!* Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take them out, set your oven to broil and spread your tomato sauce, cheese (again optional) and toppings. I did more basil on top, mushrooms, light cheese an extra sauce! They really only need 3-4 minutes and wa-la!

Let sit for a minute than consume!! So good!! Was great the next day heated up as well :)

Veggie Hash aka Don't waste your vegetables!!!

As you may have learned by now following my instagram account I HATE to waste food! If you have a lot of veggies started to turn the best thing is to make it into something easily usable.. how do I do that?

Veggie Hash.

Basically take whatever you have and slice it into small slivers/chunks/pieces and cook it all together and throw it in anything you can! It sounds simple right? This honestly has really helped me cut down on waste because it's so easy to throw it into other things as well as freeze if I need to!

Latest "hash" I made:

Spinach, Kale, chad, bok choy, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, orange bell peppers, home grown chili peppers from mom's garden, celery, mushrooms, onions, corn, radishes... I think that was it?

I cook in a large skillet in coconut oil with bragg's aminos (healthy, gluten free soy sauce), sriracha, black pepper and usually italian herbs. I try not to over season as you can always add but not subtract and want to be able to add in to a variety of things!

Throw in your morning eggs, into ground turkey, tacos, on top of your salad, on your ice cream.. joking joking :)

Be creative! And don't waste your food!

Everything you have asked and more! Diet tips, Juicing, Exercise, Supplements

First off...
...I LOVE you all, yes all of my wonderful fabulous friends. I really hope no one has taken offense lately that I haven't had time to reply to your health/fitness/diet questions. Lately, I have been asked nearly every day for advice & tips, to asking for detailed meal plans & work out routines. As much as I love to share my recipes and fitness tips.. I also LOVE to be outside and also been trying to really be dedicated to work & hopefully new career soon. So please please understand it is not ever personal... and seriously your messages mean the WORLD to me!

This may be sporadic but trying to touch on all the questions I've been asked...

What is covered (in case you want to just scroll for what you are looking for):
-Exercise
-Supplements
-Why am I Gluten Free?
-Diet & Shopping List
-Portion Control
-Juicing & Juice Diets/Fasting

Exercise:
A huge resource for work outs for me is bodybuilding.com - so many awesome plans to follow! I really enjoyed this one: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/felicia-romero-fitness-360.html She has a muscle building plan or a weight-cutting plan. I sort of do my own plan now but it's great as it shows you how to do each exercise and nice to have every day already planned out for you!

Another thing I LOVE is the Insanity work-outs! I must warn you that I would not recommend them to someone new to working out or someone just starting to get back into shape. Let's put it this way - I am a fairly active person, work-out regularly... the first time I did a full Insanity work-out I threw up. What I love is that no weights or machines are involved, it's just you using your own body so for those of us without full gyms (my apartments is very limited) or unable to pay for gym memberships it's great!

My work out schedule varies: some weeks I work out every single day and some weeks I go rock-climbing, or do other activities instead of working out. If I am feeling guilty about my activity level... that's my obvious sign I need to go work out! Remember something is always better than nothing.... and no one ever says "oh man I shouldn't have worked out". Working out always makes my mood, day, life better!

Try getting in at least 30 minutes of cardio and focus on a part of your body 5 times a week - may seem like a lot but just set your alarm 1 hour earlier and see how much your life changes!

Supplements:
I recommend for most people that aren't taking any vitamins to at least start taking a good multi-vitamin morning & night. Again, I am not a doctor nor nutritionist - you know what you eat and I don't. I can not take a multi-vitamin as for some reason they make me nauseous even with food.

What I Take & Works great for me:
-Aloe Vera Juice 1 oz in AM & 1 in PM - www.edsaloe.com has the best on the market
-Omega 3 Fish Oil 1 in AM & 1 in PM
-Vitamin D in AM & PM
-B Vitamin Complex - usually just 1 a day in the AM
-AlphaMax - helps me with my allergies a LOT (also available through edsaloe.com)
- Superfood plus powder (GREAT stuff for you - my #1 Recommendation. More info here: http://bit.ly/KLIWCU) Once daily in juice - I do it with Cayenne pepper & Super Tonic Tinctures
-Every few days I do an EmergenC Joint Health - The one with added Glucosamine

Why am I Gluten Free? 
I have had stomach issues my entire life from stomach cramps so bad I couldn't sleep, to not being able to keep anything down, to uncontrollable bloating even with what I thought was a healthy diet. What I did was an elimination diet and first thing I did was cut out gluten and oh. my. gosh. my life was so much better. Even when I ate small meals before I would feel so weighed down, so tired, that feeling of my stomach eating itself, and like aforementioned stomach cramps. I was Miss Whole Grain EVERYTHING and little did I know I was poisoning my body. To test it a few weeks after I cut gluten out I had 1-2 sips of Greg's beer... and oh stomach cramps that night. I've been gluten free since November of last year and without sounding too corny my quality of life is so much better!

What is my diet?
Crap. I don't even know.... it's a random concoction of everything I have learned. I have recently gone about 90% Paleo aka Paleolithic Diet (Love this site for more info: http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/) So far I REALLY like it! I think the easiest way to do this is to give you a sample of a normal grocery list for me - I do take into consideration what's on sale, what's in season so this is just a sample. I also buy organic whenever I can!

Basically I eat a lot of lean protein, a lot of veggies, keep my carbs minimal and complex, never eat carbs after 5PM, only drink alcohol here and there (going to go 30 days without after this weekend!), really watch my sugar intake and try to make sure I consume a variety of veggies/foods to make sure I am getting everything my body needs. DRINK A LOT OF WATER. Keep it on you, by you, ALL of the time. When you wake up in the morning slam down a glass of water to wake up your body!

Quick note - beans are not on the paleo diet but despite this I do eat black beans from time to time as well as quinoa - as I think both are great for you... Like I said I always sort of make my own diet.

I'll try to do this is order of importance kinda sorta ;)

Shopping List:
-Ground Turkey
-Turkey Breast (try to stay away from deli meat! So much salt)
-Chicken Breast
-Tuna canned & fresh (love trader joe's flash frozen ahi steaks!)
-Salmon & Salmon Patties (LOVE the ones from Costco)
-Coconut Oil
-Eggs
-Spinach
-Romaine Lettuce - Don't buy iceberg it literally has no nutritional value - it's a waste of space
-Broccoli
-Carrots
-Onions
-Garlic
-Fresh Herbs & Dried
-Peppers - mostly bell peppers & jalapenos
-Cucumber
-Kale
-Collard Greens (sooo good with a little braggs aminos)
-Tomatoes & Tomato sauce (only natural no added sugar etc)
-Avocado
-Mushrooms - I think BBQ'd Portabella's are seriously one of God's gifts to the world :)
-Spaghetti Squash - I know it sounds weird but it's the only way to eat spaghetti! SO good!
-Zucchini
-Various Squashes
-Sweet Potatoes
-Beets
-Brussel Sprouts
-Black Beans
-Quinoa
-Cauliflower (mashed is a great substitute for rice or potatoes)
-Almonds - Raw
-Seltzer Water (aka fizzy water)
-Ginger root
-Chia Seeds - easy to find in bulk bins at Whole Foods
-Ground Flax Seed
-Coconut Flour
-Chicken Broth - Reduced sodium
-Turkey Bacon
-Lean Steak Cuts
-Natural Peanut Butter - also not paleo but I eat here & there
-Braggs Natural Amino Acids - Soy/Salt Alternative
-Almond Milk Original Plain
-Agave Syrup and/or Maple Syrup
-Oranges
-Apples
-Frozen Berries
-100% Juice - NO ADDED SUGAR! I use it for my superfood and 'Mikaelaa Soda' - Mostly Seltzer water with a dash of juice!

Limited usage but I keep on hand:
-Butter
-Gluten Free Bread (frozen keeps for a long time - mostly for when I am sick or for a cheat meal)
-Popsicles - 100% Juice
-Red Wine... oh yes, I LOVE wine but try to really limit my alcohol intake
-Sake - a lower cal/carb alternative to hard alcohols - again alcohol will never be good for you and it really will limit weight loss if that's your goal!

I will probably be like OOPS! Forgot this.. or take away that.. but for now there is a rough idea.

Portion Control:

This is OH SO IMPORTANT and I'll admit I can be the worst offender. I highly recommend eating 5-6 small meals a day or every 3-4 hours - It's insane how much it boosts your metabolism. The WORST thing you can do is try to starve yourself all day and just eat one meal... that's what sumo-wrestlers do (of course with like 10,000 calories). We all love to go out and be social and I am not saying you shouldn't I am just saying to be very conscious... this is a GREAT video about portion control:
http://www.fitnessrxmag.com/fitness/the-fit-life/1381-portion-control.html

Juicing or Ode to thy Juicer: (just kidding)

The #1 asked question is about juicing, juice diets and juice fasting. I LOVE MY JUICER. This is no secret. I juice all the time.. it's a normal part of my diet. After the horrific experience with the HPV vaccine there was over a month of barely being able to walk, couldn't get out of bed, no energy... I did a juice fast for 5 days - two days off - then 5 days and it literally saved my life. I started to get color back in my skin, I could walk without feeling like I was going to collapse, I had an appetite again, I could smile again and laugh and feel human again. So no matter what your experience is with juicing... whether you love it or hate it, it's something that is super important to me and my lifestyle.

If I need to lean up a bit sometimes I will juice for every meal but eat a lean dinner. If I am in a rush or know I will be gone from home for a long time I'll eat say breakfast then bring a juice with me to have ready for my next meal. Now for a juice fast some prep is involved and let me stress it is NOT EASY. This is long and some of it I don't 100% agree with but provides a lot of info: http://www.doctoryourself.com/juicefast.html

If you seriously want to juice fast. You need to do a prep diet aka 5-7 days before NO alcohol, nicotine, sugar, dairy, wheat, fatty animal meat, and limit your caffeine intake. This is so your body doesn't go into shock.

If you really want the benefits of a juice fast you need to fast for at least FIVE days - I know, ouch. But you digestive track uses food stored for 2-3 days. You want to primarily juice vegetables as fruit contains a lot of sugar.

I like a lot of variety in my juices - some people like two ingredient juices this is ALL up to you! For some good recipes to start with go here: http://www.raw-foods-diet-center.com/vegetable-juicing-recipes.html

Note: I save the stems to broccoli, the stem of romaine, beet greens any and all veggie parts you don't usually cook & eat I will save to juice!

Here is an example of what I would usually juice:

Large handful of spinach
Few Romaine Leaves
One beet (even if you don't usually like beets they are GREAT in juice - I leave the skin on)
Maybe 5 Carrots depending on size
1 Tomato
2 Stalks of celery - celery has a lot of natural salt so just don't over do it
1/3-1/2 Cucumber
Small piece of Ginger
Either an orange or apple

There are limitless combinations of juices - my general guidelines is 25% dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, collard greens; some "sweeter" vegetables like carrots & beets; some thinning vegetables (as in thins the juice out a little) like romaine, cucumber, celery and then a fruit or fruits. If you want more fruit I suggest doing more fruit earlier in the day when you need the sugar/energy. For some reason ginger & strawberries go amazingly well together! Do not juice frozen fruit or banana's your juicer will not be happy.

As for brands I have tried a few and my very favorite is the Jack La Lanne's Juicer (http://www.powerjuicer.com/?gclid=COOc_ODW8a8CFWQKRQodeCvMXA) - it's in the mid-range for price but they offer payment plans. Easier to clean, you get the most out of your veggies, I like the wide chute and dependable.

Whew! I know there are probably some questions I have not yet touched on and I will come back but  have literally been working on this for hours and time to get outside and run! Please leave comments, questions and I promise to get back to you!

Much love, health and fitness to everyone! <3

Maple Pecan Paleo Protein Cakes

- Maple Pecan Paleo Protein Cakes -

Remember Sandies? Those amazing pecan shortbread cookies - they are definitely one of these things some of us LOVE and some of us can't stand, obviously I'm one of the LOVE people. Although these aren't too reminiscent of the buttery, white sugar, bleached flour goodness of my past.... these actually tricked me into thinking I was eating dessert for breakfast. 

So I just bought Hemp Protein, why you ask? Hemp protein contains all nine of the life essential amino acids that our bodies require: Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, Histidine. Hemp protein contains an almost perfect balance of essential fatty acids (EFA’s) Omega-3 and -6, a high content of fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. But I won't lie I do NOT like the taste... like not one bit. What's a girl to do? Find some dominant flavors that will compliment the weird nuttiness of the Hemp Protein... TA DAAAAA!

Quick note to you worried about the fat content in nuts - There are several scientific studies that have shown that pecans help protect your nervous system, have heart healthy antioxidants, are cholesterol lowering, and increase your metabolic rate! http://www.ilovepecans.org/nutrition.html for more info.

What you will need:

-1 Cup of pecans, chopped or food processed to nice little bits

-2 TB Coconut Flour

-2 TB Hemp Protein - I bought Bob's Red Mill brand that you can find at most Whole Foods

-2 TB Maple Syrup - I bought Whole Foods Organic Grade A (You can sub for Agave!)

-1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

-1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

-1/2-1 Tsp Cinnamon (I love cinnamon so I did a full tsp)

- 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Almond Milk - or milk of your choice

-2 Egg Whites

-1 Full Egg

-Coconut oil for your baking sheet or parchment paper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle. I chose to use my nifty little food processor Greg's mom got us (thank you Cathy!) but if you are without just chop up your pecans into nice little bits. Like this...

Before:

 After:

After you chop them up place them in a decent sized bowl. Add in your dry ingredients: coconut flour, hemp protein, baking soda, cinnamon and stir well. Yes hemp protein makes everything look a little odd.

Next add in your egg/egg whites and vanilla. Next add in maple syrup, than 1/4 almond milk. The batter seemed a bit thick to me so I added 1/4 cup more almond milk but honestly I think it was a little too much so maybe just add a dash until you have a good workable consistency. 

I forgot parchment paper AGAIN so I tried to oil the pan well with coconut oil. They shouldn't need too much room in between your cakes as they rise upwards but not really outwards. Note: my first batch came out slightly better using a cool pan - so if you need to do multiple batches let the pan cool a little!

I baked them for about 9-10 minutes and pulled them out as they will cook a little more after you bring the pan out. I let them sit for a few minutes than transferred to cooling racks.

Now my favorite part of this EAT! The texture was awesome.. kinda chewy, kinda crunchy all together YUM and best part? Did NOT taste like hemp protein - mission accomplished! If you want them a little more moist spread a little coconut oil on top or if you want to be a little naughty sprinkle some maple syrup on top! I made about 11 good sized cakes - if you want more snack size just make a bunch of small dollops! 

Nutrition Break down:

11 Servings Amount Per Serving   Calories 107.5   Total Fat 8.4 g       Saturated Fat 0.7 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 2.3 g       Monounsaturated Fat 4.4 g   Cholesterol 0.0 mg   Sodium 81.0 mg   Potassium 53.8 mg   Total Carbohydrate 5.9 g       Dietary Fiber 2.0 g       Sugars 2.8 g   Protein 3.1 g   Vitamin A 0.8 %   Vitamin B-12 0.0 %   Vitamin B-6 1.2 %   Vitamin C 0.2 %   Vitamin D 1.1 %   Vitamin E 4.5 %   Calcium 1.8 %   Copper 6.5 %   Folate 0.6 %   Iron 1.8 %   Magnesium 3.5 %   Manganese 25.2 %   Niacin 0.6 %   Pantothenic Acid     0.9 %   Phosphorus     3.2 %   Riboflavin 0.8 %   Selenium 0.6 %   Thiamin 4.8 %   Zinc 3.3 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Until next recipe! Happy health & fitness!