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Jan 05 2017 
New Year STRONG with Core De Force
Core De Force Meal Plan & Week 4 Update
Core De Force Week 4 Meal Plan is going down today. Failing to plan is like planning to fail. When I first heard that phrase I thought it was crazy. Like seriously…. who plans out there food every week? I don’t have time for that and seriously, who actually eats what they plan out? That was my thinking 4 years ago, and I quickly realized after failing over and over at my nutrition that there was truth to meal planning and that I needed to embrace it. Do I always eat exactly what is on the plan?? NOT AT ALL! But at least I have a plan, I have food in the house and I am empowered and set up for success. So it’s Sunday and I call this my planning day. I am sitting here with the Core De Force nutrition guide, my blank meal plan template I created on a spreadsheet, and my grocery list so that I can get my game plan together for the 4th week of Core De Force.
After 4 years of clean eating and exercising I have found my perfect combination. I have done everything from the The South Beach Diet, The Fat Flush Diet, Eat Right For your Blood Type Diet, 21 Day Fix, Fix Extreme, 3 day refresh (<<btw, you would love this one) and following a Gluten-free diet. I have found that my body personally responds to food very differently. I get bloated with dairy and grains, I get mentally foggy and almost an instant headache with refined sugars. If I eat paleo, stay away from dairy, gluten, and sugars that are artificial I feel my best. No bloating, no mood swings, no headaches and improved muscle definition and tone.
So here is my “ideal” lifestyle ( even though I love raw cheddar, brie and Elleno’s Greek Yogurt)
- Dairy free
- Gluten Free
- No artificial sugars at all
- No legumes
- Paleo lifestyle
I can share with you the difference is for sure in the results too:
I just don’t have those crazy crashes in my energy level like I did before. I am not sluggish, I don’t have headaches unless my alignment is out of place, my skin is clearer and I’m just healthier and happier all around.
The picture on the far left is from June when I was able to start working out again post surgeries. You can search my blog for details on that fiasco. The one on the far right is after completing 21 Day Fix Extreme, 8 weeks of Hammer and Chisel and 3 weeks of Core De Force. I can really see my definition showing up. I know I’m already fit but I feel healthy, powerful and STRONG which is really what I’m after. Plus I really love that Core De Force is so focused on your core and that you do not need any weights at all. It is just the perfect Hashtag Girlboss workout. I wear my weighted gloves and I can do it in my own home. No one cares how my hair looks. Half the time I am grunting and punching and looking completely ridiculous.
[June: Pre-workouts] [November: After Core De Force]
*Week 4 Core De Force & Paleo/Whole30 eating*
So let’s also talk nutrition. I am following the Core De Force meal plan. I also really do modify and I don’t always get in the yellows. I eat maybe 1 per day and I eat more good fats because I follow the Paleo lifestyle. That is what my body responds to the best. Here is my week 4 meal plan:
I have snacks typically in the afternoon between lunch and dinner and then after dinner I usually need a snack. I do make my last meal of the day at least 3 hours before bed. I do not have any kind of carbohydrate after dinner unless it’s the occasional bowl of air-popped popcorn with coconut butter. Shhhhh 😉
My latest go to snack has been:
-1 honeycrisp apple
-handful of chopped almonds
-sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
-Microwave for 45 seconds and it’s warm and soft. So good!!!
If you want to start soon, it is super easy to do that. Just rock it out with your ipad, iphone or computer with Beachbody On Demand. If you don’t have it, ask me how. It’s super easy!! You can stream your workouts anywhere there is wifi or download 7 workouts to your library to do with no wifi connection.
Last week of Core De Force, but I’m going to continue on with month 2 because I love it that much!!!!
My hubby and I are doing Core De Force together!!
Do you want to give Core De Force a TRY? Do you need a little ACCOUNTABILITY? I am kicking off my Health Bet Challenge Jan. 9th, but could get you a HEAD START!!! Complete the Application BELOW and I will contact you within 24 hours to get MORE details!
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Nov 20 2015 
Gluten-Free Meal Plan for the kids!
Gluten-Free Meal Plan
Gluten-free meal plan prep has become a way of life for our family. With myself and my daughter, highly gluten intolerant, we really have to be careful. I wanted to show you an example of what I have given my daughter. Practicing packing lunches for my kindergartener and I think this combo might be a hit! Here is what I packed for her, food items I use all the time:
- Organic Sausage
- Almonds
- Carrots
- Raspberry
- Cantolope
- Black Bean BBQ Organic Chips
- Hummus
These items really are part of my gluten-free meal plan. Now to get frilly toothpicks because these plain ones just won’t do. I love going the extra mile to treat my little girl like a lady. She is only small once, I will never get this opportunity again. 😉
This gluten-free meal plan list, is really just a mix and match. These are the main foods I give my kids. I really stay basic and consistent. I don’t really make it a big list. My kids hardly ever have soda, and have never had fast food. That is not to brag, we just don’t have those things as a family and we educate our kids on why. We also keep our meals simple. We have found they love all these food items probably because we just have not introduced them to the junk that we had before we got healthy.
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Chicken (Organic breast and thighs from Costco)
- Tacos (gluten-free tortilla shells, ground turkey, lettuce, home made guacamole, salsa, green onions, romain lettuce, yogurt, and black beens.)
- Grapes
- Eggs
- Spinach/Kale/Lettuce
- Dried Fruit
- Fish of any kind
- Gluten-Free Toast – we love Udis or Rudis.
- Organic Peanut Butter
- Vegan Chocolate Chips (the kids love these, we get them at a co-op near where we live.)
- Organic Fruit Snacks (Costco has some bulk options)
- Any vegetable!!
- Pamela’s Gluten-Free Pancake Mix (My husband makes pancakes once a week, but only uses about half a cup of mix and includes 7 to 8 eggs. He calls them his “protein pancakes”. It is probably the kids favorite meal.)
- Broccoli (it is a staple and our most eaten vegetable. Just steamed with a little himalayan salt.)
- Coconut Chips (I already have a write up on these. Love them!)
- Shakeology (Yep, they have it everyday….I practice what I preach!)
I will continue to add to this list. But our gluten-free meal plan is simple. Take basic healthy foods and have our kids eat them consistently. (Here is another lunch idea I posted.) We don’t keep them from eating junk occasionaly, but their main treats are included above. Literally this is the list we eat from 5 to 6 days a week. My husband BBQs chicken every week, he makes a braised leafy green and egg mix every day, which he shares with our son. It is crazy how well our kids eat and mostly it is because we share what we eat with them. We just all eat the same thing. No one gets different food at dinner.
So be encouraged and make your own gluten-free meal plan. It is not hard, but you have to be consistent with your kids and you need to eat it with them. We can’t expect our kids to eat things we aren’t willing to eat. Oh and I also give them gluten-free waffles for breakfast occasionally! Anyways, I hope this helps, please share your ideas….I need all the help I can get!
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Nov 19 2015 
Zucchini Noodles and Meatballs – Gluten-Free Dinner!
Zucchini Noodles
Zucchini Noodles make an amazing gluten-free dinner!! My bestie made it for me and I not only want her cute white dishes, I could have this meal weekly. Trying new dishes with friends is amazing. My cousin, who was my maid of honor in my wedding and my best friend has lost a bunch of weight in the last few months. This is one of the main reasons why. Having things like zucchini noodles is a huge part of the process in getting healthy. Not that she can’t have normal noodles, but keeping away from carbs, that are very starchy and dense, has been key in her transformation.
Gluten-free Dinner
You do need a spiral veggie cutter. Veggetti was what we used. $12 bucks and it’s small and easy to store. Zucchini Noodles are easy to make and can be used in tons of different dishes. My kids will eat them…which is huge! Here’s a little excerpt from Organic Facts about zucchini,
“Zucchini is well known to reduce weight, yet still boosting the nutrient value of your diet. Moreover, it helps to promote eye health, and prevents all the diseases that occur from vitamin C deficiency like scurvy, sclerosis, and easy bruising. It helps to cure asthma and has a high content of vitamin C, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Zucchini contains significant quantities of potassium, folate, and vitamin A, all of which are important for general good health. Zucchini, when eaten regularly, can effectively lower your homocysteine levels.”
So as you can see…..add zucchini into your diet as much as possible! You can’t go wrong….now onto what we had for dinner.
- What she threw in:
- Organic marinara sauce from Trader Joe’s, heated
- Aidell’s Italian meatballs, browned
- Zucchini noodles, boiled for 2-3 min.
- Salt & Pepper
We did mix some gluten-free noodles we had made for the kids in with our zucchini noodles. It is amazing how good something can taste, even when it is not what you think it should be. Never, once when I was growing up, do I remember having zucchini noodles!
The salad is:
Green onions
Mixed greens
AvocadoFeel free to use this for a 21 Day Fix Meal! And remember, add zucchini noodles into your meal plan as much as possible!
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Oct 01 2015 
Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas! Veggie Soup on the Go!!
Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas
Being gluten-free, I am always looking for gluten-free lunch ideas. I am going to be consistently looking for more an more simple ideas, that you can buy while on the go. I find that almost anyone can make gluten-free lunch ideas at home….but what about at work or while out with the kids. Here is one I love!
Veggies are so hard to get in when life is crazy busy. We live by eating whatever is in front of us in this fast paced life. Fall ?and Winter❄ are so great for soup and you can hide tons of veggies in a yummy way. The other reason I love it? My kids will eat it! You can’t beat that! Finding food that my kids will eat that is healthy for them, on the go, is a win-win in my book.
This is a hearty veggie soup with kale, carrots, potatoes. Yum!!!!! It is at Metropolitan Market. This is one of my all time favorite grocery stores. They have all kinds of unique items. The market actually labels which soups are gluten-free. It is so nice to quickly jump in the store, pick up what I need and then pay and get back in the car, within five minutes.
Do be careful. A lot of the canned soups are not that healthy and can have hidden junk in them. Make sure to always read the labels. A lot of gluten-free items are made with quality ingredients, but I am seeing a trend of more and more that are not good. It seems like we can never get away from the junk! So, I will continually search for gluten-free lunch ideas.
Do you have a favorite “go to” soup? I would love to hear it!! This time a year, I start making them weekly. They are great to have for leftovers. Comment with a recipe of the one you can’t live without!
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Sep 21 2015 
Paleo and Gluten-Free Meal Plan!
Gluten-free meal plan? Paleo? I don’t need any of that stuff…. little did I know. It feels like yesterday that I was pregnant with my baby boy and this sweet girl and I would roam around town doing whatever we wanted. We mainly ended up at a Starbucks because we’d split a Chonga bagel as our snack. Almost every day. I am a licensed esthetician and I worked right up the road from a wonderful little restaurant! It was called Taco Time! Yep, one of my favorite fast food stops. I would get done with a client, go grab a couple crispy burritos, a Coke and head back to work.
My second pregnancy was much harder and I couldn’t figure out why. Bloated, tired, swollen are words I used often. I would talk to my midwife and chiropractor and a few times they both said to me, “sounds like a gluten allergy.”
I obviously didn’t want to hear that because the thought of going “gluten-free” sounded so overwhelming. So intense. Plus, breaking up with the Chonga bagel and fast food was overwhelming to consider while pregnant. So I did what any other busy mom would do. I waited until conditions worsened. ☺Baby girl had a diaper rash that would not leave and my hand eczema was getting more intense. I remember having that full, swollen feeling during my #HIIT workouts, too. Jumping would hurt.
Immediately my doctor took us both off gluten as soon as she saw our conditions. She saw the writing on the wall instantly. If I snuck some bread or pizza after I had cut gluten out, I would look 5 months pregnant again almost instantly. ?? It was time for a gluten-free meal plan!
I share this to tell you that living this lifestyle has helped my fitness results a TON!! I’ve learned to pre-plan before parties and events because I can’t eat most of the food there. I am forced to eat more whole foods because processed and packaged foods usually make me feel yuck. It also keeps me away from maple bars ?!!
GLUTEN-FREE MEAL PLAN AND FREE GROUP!
I run groups on Facebook all the time. This free, 5 day #Paleo and gluten-free meal plan group is one I run on a continual basis. You’ll have a sneak peek into the foods we eat, new recipes for you to try and hopefully pick up a new habit or meal idea.
It’s a free private group you’ll have access to so go to this LINK and fill out your info! Remember to invite a friend. The gluten-free meal plan can always use new ideas! The more the merrier!
#mealplan #newideas #health #byebyebloat
It’s gonna be fun!!!??????
