Paleo Tuna Boats

What you need: 

A pepper, cut from top to bottom

1 tsp Tessemae's lemon garlic marinade 

1/2 orange container (21 Day Fix) Annie's Organic Dijon Mustard

A can of tuna

Any spices you'd like: garlic, basil, pepper, etc. 

If you want to dice up an onion, celery, or tomato, by all means, get creative!

 (All Whole30 + paleo approved!)

Mix the ingredients together

And serve for a gluten-free and delicious lunch

To mix it up, add grapes 

Lunch is ready!

21 Day Fix breakdown: 

Can of tuna: 1 red

Peppers: 1 green

Grapes: 1/4 purple

Mustard: 1/2 orange 

Dressing: tsp

You are a..

Zucchini Pasta with Chicken & Kale

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

What you need: 

2 chicken breasts, into strips

salt & pepper to taste

2 tsp oregano flakes

olive oil cooking spray

1 cup chopped kale

2 large zucchinis

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 garlic powder

2 lemon wedges

To make: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spiralize zucchini - It's super easy and really fun

Lightly coat baking pan with olive oil cooking spray and add sliced chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

When chicken is almost through cooking, add cooking spray to large pan on the oven, place on medium heat. Add kale for about 3 minutes (or until almost wilted). 

Add zucchini "pasta", red pepper, garlic powder, and juice from the lemon wedges. 

Stir and cook until noodles are soft. 

Add chicken to pan and toss to combine. 

EAT! 

For more recipes and inspiration, follow me on Instagram @Rootedtreewellness. 

Found at one of my favorite paleo-friendly websites, Inspiralized. 

Insanity Max: 30 (Review)

I'll be honest. 2 months ago, this program intimidated me. 

I'll be honest. Now, this program is my favorite. 

It's my favorite because I've never had results like these. I absolutely love celebrity trainer, ShaunT. He knows exactly what to say to keep you going. 

The idea behind Insanity Max: 30 is that you push yourself to the limits

 (aka to max out). 

Once you feel like you've pushed as hard as you can push and you need a break, you pause, write down your time, and get back into it. I love that I've been able to make it a competition with myself because I keep track of all of my times day by day. 

I want to max out with you!

Here's what you can expect: 

 - 30 minute workouts

- an option to do low impact modified versions (which I sometimes follow)

- cardio & strength training

- a 60 day program (depending on which track you do, 

it can be 5 or 6 days a week)

- 2 bonus workouts: Ab Attack and Sweat Fest

- 1 month supply of my favorite & healthiest meal of the day: Shakeology

- simple control nutrition guide + a "No Time to Cook" guide

 (which super helpful for busy people like myself!)

- yours truly as your coach, holding you accountable and enduring the pain, sweat, and love every single day right along side you (online)

Here are my side by side results of my first round of Insanity Max: 30

Halfway through my first round (so 30 days in), I moved 3 states away. Here's the thing about not having a gym membership, I could pop my DVD in the day that I moved and get to work! 

My favorite things about Insanity Max: 30: 

- This program targets every part of the body

- If I need to take a day off in the middle of the week, I know that there's not 7 workouts per week, so I can shift my schedule around, which relieves me to have one day off (which is a beautiful thing)
- The Max Out Guide includes 2 options for your plan: a basic program or an ab maximizer calendar.
- It's my husbands favorite workout program too. While we never get the time to do it together, it's a real treat comparing the ways ShaunT nearly killed us at the dinner table.

Workout Descriptions: 

- CARDIO CHALLENGE 30 minutes of the hardest cardio sequences ever. 

- TABATA POWER Strength training starts here with traditional Tabata-style "20 seconds on, 10 seconds off" workout structure. 

- SWEAT INTERVALS Just like it sounds, you'll sweat!

- TABATA STRENGTH Strength training like you've never seen with little resting.  

- FRIDAY FIGHT: ROUND 1 ShaunT literally compares this workout to a fight, with a lot of kicking and boxing. 

- MAX OUT: CARDIO More cardio...but even harder. 

- MAX OUT POWER The intervals are longer in this "45 seconds on, 15 seconds off" Tabata-style plyometrics.  

- MAX OUT SWEAT Even more sweat than the first round. 

- MAX OUT STRENGTH This will really target your upper body with a "45 seconds on, 15 seconds off" Tabata-style routine. 

- FRIDAY FIGHT: ROUND 2 ShaunT calls this the "hardest workout ever." Every move is a minute in this final fight between body and mind. He'll be sure to remind you of this. 

- PULSE Shaun's version of a recovery workout, this is a low-impact combo of stretching and small "pulsing" movements that focuses on your form. 

- AB ATTACK: 10 This 10-minute routine will feel like an attack on the abs....

- MAX OUT: 15 Just as intense as the 30 minute workouts, but at least it's half the time! This is 15 minutes of insane cardio.

- MAX OUT ABS You'll alternate between seated and standing moves with 15 minutes of crazy core work.

- 360 ABS This workout focuses on your abs and core from every angle. 

____________________________________________________________________________

If you combine this workout + the 21 Day Fix meal plan + Shakeology (my favorite combo to feel my best) , you've got yourself the whole package of goodness to get yourself fit and healthy for summer.

What's next? If you're a new challenger of mine, you'll need to order a Challenge Pack and you'll receive one month's worth of Shakeology to have the energy to max out everyday! Shakeology will also provide the superfoods, vitamins, protein, probiotics, and digestive enzymes you need. 

What's the awesome news? If you buy the Insanity Max:30 Deluxe Kit, it includes the colored portion size containers from the 21 Day Fix!

Email me here or head to Facebook, here to contact me if you want to jump in our next challenge group and we can do this together!

Whole 30 (post 2)

I'm excited to share my most recent 10 days of doing Whole30 here. I'm seriously loving it. I may make this, WholeIndefinitely, except wine...I might need wine.

Day11: I love breakfast foods! It's so funny how that's changed over the years. I used to dread breakfast. After researching healthy eating, I quickly learned how important eating breakfast is and I learned to love eggs, veggies, bacon, oats, honey, etc. Thanks, paleo...it'll do that to you. This is eggs with veggies and spinach. It's been my go to during Whole30; it's filling, nutritious, and delicious...apparently my friend Barrett thinks so too. 

I eat throughout my workday and this is a very typical sight you'll see: 

I am sticking with my (6 days a week) Insanity Max:30 workouts this month and I'm loving this combo: I feel so great!

Day12: As I stated in the week prior, my family came into town, which meant a heck of a lot of eating out. I knew this would be interesting while doing Whole30...but thank God for google. If you google Whole30 _____ (insert restaurant name), you'll get a ton of answers. My parents opted for P.F.Chang's. I was able to order salmon with asparagus. There were about 5 overcooked asparagus under the salmon, so I ordered another side of them (see the difference?) I think that was just a bad night for the kitchen - hopefully it doesn't usually turn out that minimal! BUT the salmon was super yummy and easy to order. 

Day13: My family and I visited Lake Norman, which is beautiful! Right after I took this picture, I broke this cup on accident. I luckily, had already gotten quite a bit of that water in already!

Mid day snack: 

For dinner, of course, we went out again. The restaurant we ended up going to is new to town and I'd been wanting to try it. Let's just say I should've waited until I was done Whole30 - the bread, the wine list, the little cookies they give you at the end - it all looked incredible. But you know what the funny thing is about creating habits - they become your norm! It wasn't nearly as hard to resist the other stuff as it was just 2 months ago! I got a chicken (they call them "happy chickens" because they know where they roam before they're plated - which reminds me of a Portlandia episode, yeah, you know the one) with veggies. I ate every bite because it was so delicious - oh, and in case you're wondering, that's not butter....I made sure. 

Day14 &15: I got to go to Charleston for work...which I was super excited about BUT nervous about maintaining Whole30 while being away with new coworkers (who don't know my awesome healthy eating habits) eating meals that were premade for us but guess what, I succeeded in going the whole time and kept up with Whole30! For lunch, a group we were visiting had sandwiches made for us (without the toppings, which made things super easy)! I took cucumber and made "bread" and stuck turkey and veggies in between. They were the cutest little sandwiches but I couldn't snap a pic. That night, we did a boat tour cruise of Charleston. It was a buffet....and had an open bar...and had every type of pie you could think of (have I mentioned I LOVE pie!?) Well, I passed on the alcohol, I stuck with veggies and meat and it was perfect. I had a pecan pie Lara Bar (because I was hungry by the end of the night) and holy yummy delicious - only running to Lara Bars in dire need while Whole30-ing! 

The next day, for breakfast at the hotel, I had eggs and fruit...and of course, black coffee. For lunch, we went to a restaurant on the harbor (yay, somewhere I could pick my own food! I got salmon and broccoli and it was perfect!

When taking road trips (or, let's be honest, when I go anywhere ever) I have snacks with me. My lunchbox and I are BFF. 

Day16: My Saturday lunch included these delightfully colorful turkey wraps. 

For dinner, we made zucchini noodles with lemon chicken and kale. I'll be sharing this recipe on my blog this week. 

Day17:  Sundays are made for coffee...and meal prep! 

Do you know what my secret is? Meal prep. Not just normal meal prep, but I tend to cook chicken, and a ton of veggies, then I find different ways to incorporate different pieces to create different dishes. For instance, I used these grilled veggies later in the week for eggs (breakfast), and with chicken (dinner). 

I hurt my back in my workout the day prior but I listened to my body and decided to do some PIYO and all the stretching and downward facing dog-ing totally healed me from pain! Reason #59 I love PiYO. 

Day18: Monday, back to the grind! 

A sweet breakfast: half a sweet potato with almond butter, cinnamon, and sliced almonds. My mouth is literally drooling thinking about this now. You know what made this super easy (because who has time to cook a good breakfast on a Monday morning??) I had made the sweet potatoes already and they just needed to be heated up. Once they're heated, the almond butter melts so smooth!

For lunch: tuna salad with brocoli, spinach, and almonds. 

I am guilty of drinking too much LaCroix while on Whole30! It's a great alternative to many things - I now stick with the regular to avoid the flavored options. 

Day19: For lunch, I brought a salad with blueberries and chicken to work. (Oh, and gotta get that water in, thanks Tervis!)

Dinner was kind of a throw-things-together meal with chicken, avocado, mushrooms, and spinach. The second after I took this, I combined all of this and devoured it!

Day20: On Wednesday, I friend invited me over to go paddleboarding and of course, I said YES! We shared sparkling water and strawberries while floating in the middle of the lake. It was quite magical.

As if the morning wasn't great enough, my friend invited me over for lunch (knowing I was doing Whole30) and she created this colorful big salad for us. 

The difference between these last 10 compared to the first 10 is that I felt more in a rhythm. I wasn't needing to check every label anymore because I had already bought my groceries so I had a better understanding as to what was Whole30 compliant and what wasn't. I actually felt more motivated this week to continue this beyond the 30 days. I think part of me was super nervous about what I would do when eating out but it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I always suggest looking at the menu before getting there and be clear to the waiter what you want - most are understanding. 

Free Clean Eating Group

In a rut? Want to learn how to feel better from the inside out? I know that eating clean get feel overwhelming at first. Learn how to feel your best by putting clean, whole foods in your diet. Once you get started, you'll begin to find that you'll create habits and it can become a healthy lifestyle. It's just 5 days! Invite your friends (limited spots available). Head over to RootedTree Wellness Facebook, here. Click 'like' then send me a message and I can add you to the group. I'll be running the clean eating accountability group May 26-30. 

Real (free) Food

I was at the gas station the other day and I saw a sign that said you get a free banana when you buy a certain size bottle of Smart Water. I had plenty of water in the car so I didn't need to spend money, but if I needed water, I totally would've taken them up on that offer. Usually the free item is super processed 'fake' food. I love bananas and it's probably one of the only items in a gas station that's real food, so I thought to myself, I'm so glad they're promoting a healthy lifestyle!

Well, the guy that was getting rung up next to me bought 2 Smart Water's that warranted 2 free bananas just by chance - he didn't even know there was a deal going on. He didn't want the free bananas. He didn't want free food. He didn't want real FREE food. He couldn't have given them to his family? Or someone in need? He couldn't use them for anything?? I don't want to make this overly dramatic, but I left the gas station with a heavy heart. 

So much of what I've learned about health & nutrition has come from my desire to learn about it, to make sure my family and I are healthy, and because I've seen those around me overcome with issues surrounding food intake. I realized that I had been taking for granted my desire to learn and lean in on nutrition and health. I'm not the norm. I forget this. I'm such an advocate for food healing bodies and I do want to share it with the world. I've seen women in their fifties completely turn their health around, allowing them to not just lose weight, but also turn around the clock - they've gotten off of medications, they've been cured of disease, they have more confidence, and I'm willing to bet they're going to live a longer, more fulfilled life now that they've made the decision to CHANGE. All it took was a choice to make a change. Once you're there, we can do the rest together. You just have to make that choice to commit and then it's one day at a time. The next thing you know, a healthy lifestyle will become your norm and you won't even think about it being the drastic change in your life. You'll forget the rest of the world may deny free real food at a gas station.

If your someone who is on their journey of health and wellness, I encourage you to share it with others.

If you need an outlet to share, just ask me, you don't have to start a blog or create YouTube videos, just share with your friends how incredible your journey has been. Wouldn't you love it if all your family and friends' lives were transformed by the power of deciding to commit to make a change?

Sweet Potato, Kale, & Shrimp Skillet

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Serves: 2

What you need: 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup diced onion

2 garlic (minced) cloves

2 cups diced sweet potatoes

2 cups fresh shrimp

3 cups chopped kale leaves

black pepper & salt

To make: 

Prepare shrimp

We decided to get local fresh shrimp and we learned how to devein the shrimp

- peel each shrimp, with a sharp knife, cut from the head to the tail of the curved side. Cut halfway through the shrimp and remove the vein down the shrimp.

In a saucepan, add EVOO over medium heat 

with onions and red pepper flakes until onions are golden & soft

Add garlic for 30 seconds

Add sweet potatoes an cook until soft (10-15 mins)

Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes (or until they're pink)

Turn the heat to low and add kale, stir until wilted

Add salt & pepper to taste

This was super tasty and filling! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

We found this recipe over at Primavera Kitchen.