Cinnamon Roasted Cranberries & Sweet Potatoes

I made this super easy side for one of many Friendsgivings this year. 

(Yes, you might say I'm hashtag blessed and surrounded by so many amazing people.)

Makes: 12 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

What you need: 

- 2 cups cranberries

- 5 sweet potatoes

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 2 tbsp avocado oil

To make: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400* F 

2. Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray

3. Peel and dice sweet potatoes

4. Put diced potatoes, oil, cinnamon, and 

cranberries in a bowl and stir around

5. Place ingredients evenly on pan and bake at 400* F 

for 25 minutes (or until potatoes are soft)

6. Serve warm

7. Shout to the rooftops something you're thankful for

Eating Healthy....Out

So, you've got a meal plan, your meals prepped for the week, snacks ready, but then your friends ask if you want to go out to eat. You've been doing so good with your weightloss journey and habits, and you're thinking, "what should I order??"

Now, I get it, not every city will have the same restaurants, but the basics are the same.

Breakfast foods: 

- choose omelettes over waffles

- choose fruit, turkey bacon, wheat toast, or tomato slices for sides

- be cautious with "healthy" meals (example: try using no sugar in oatmeal)

Salads: 

- make your own when you can

- don't be scared to add or subtract ingredients

- add proteins (like grilled meats, quinoa, boiled egg, beans)

- use healthy fats (like avocado)

- see more green on your plate

- use light (dairy-free) dressings

- hold the croutons/toppings

At Chipotle: 

- use the salad options  

- don't be scared to ask for light rice, or any other toppings

- think about portions (get those cute baby chips)

- pass on the cheese, sour cream, and tortilla shells

Burgers: 

- go bunless or make it a salad

- choose a veggie (many places have broccoli as an option)

- use alternative toppings (mushrooms, avocado, egg, tomato, lettuce, onions...

drop the cheese, bacon, sauces)

Speaking of burgers...In-N-Out, go protein + animal style

Mexican Food: 

- choose salads

- be cautious with chips, sauces, and cheeses

- great options that I get: 

- a big salad with grilled chicken, guac, salsa, light beans, and tomatoes

- fajitas with tons of veggies and you can choose what you make

- corn tortilla tacos with meat, veggies, lettuce, tomato, and guac

- grilled chicken with black beans, veggies, and avocado/guac

At Panera: 

Clearly, I get a lot of salads (thanks to my paleo life), 

however, there are a lot of options at Panera:

- choose an apple instead of bread or chips on the side

- get your dressing on the side 

(and don't get thick, dairy dressings -- they even have EVOO as pictured, but you'll have to ask for it)

- great proteins include grilled chicken, boiled egg, and avocado

- a you-pick-two will help with portions (those soups are a doozy with calories)

I've mastered my healthy hacks 

at theme parks:

At Universal Orlando, I found: 

- a healthy salad at Thunder Falls Terrace (at Islands of Adventure)

- I drank my Shakeology and pretended it was 

Butterbeer on the way to the parks for maximum energy

- I brought my water and made sure I was getting my water in all day

There's a local place here in Charlotte that we love called 

Viva Chicken:

there are a lot of great, fresh options like: 

- salad with chicken and avocado 

- grilled chicken with green beans

- quinoa stuff avocado + chicken

- great side options: quinoa, green beans, sweet potato fries

- Remember Fazoli's? There's still a few! I was pleasantly surprised to 

find this salad with grilled chicken on it -- no breadsticks here. 

- PeiWei's lettuce wraps are the best!

 - At Dean and Deluca, I got a turkey sandwich loaded with veggies with wheat bread. Want less bread? Just eat one slice of the bread and make it open-face. 

If you're out to some place like Outback, Red Lobster, Carabba's, etc., you should certainly always be able to find a grilled chicken or grilled fish option. Choose veggies and/or rice not the side. Easy peasy and super delish! 

I love the teas and iced coffee beverages at Teavana and Starbucks. 

<<side note: did you know that your can use your Starbucks star rewards at Teavana??>>

I always get my beverages unsweetened. 

At Starbucks, half passion fruit tea and half green tea is a great summer option. 

 What I've found is when I'm at a girl's night, a simple coffee or tea is a great alternative to dessert.

My First RunDisney Race

Last year, I ran my first RunDisney race. I did the Star Wars Inaugural 10K. 

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the expo the day before the race. We picked up my packet and they had a ton of vendors and photo ops. 

We stayed the night at a value resort, which I totally recommend. This would probably be the only time I'm advocating for a value resort. We rarely used it. I went to bed early to prepare for my early wake up call and we obviously didn't use it much at all the day we checked out, so for the price you pay, I think it's way to go for RunDisney races. I would also like to note that if you're doing a race, please please please find a way to stay on property. Waking up any earlier than I had to, just wouldn't have happened and traffic would've stressed me out. 

When you stay at a Disney resort, you just walk to the front of the resort, while fun music is playing,  you'll find tons of other runners dressed in fun costumes, half asleep, it's pitch black out, and everyone is in a daze...but so excited, because it's like 3:30am. You board a bus and get taken to the start line. 

Find your corral. 

Fireworks and all and you're anxious and ready to run. 

So many selfies. 

Too many selfies? Maybe.

Eh, whatever. 

Finished! 

No Disney race would be complete without Mickey...or Simba waffles. 

This was one of the most magical meals I've had on property (and I've had a lot of meals at Disney). 

The chef came out (as they always do when you mention you need gluten free), and this chef took it to another level. He made my perfect dairy-free veggie omelet with gluten-free waffles, brought them to our table (it was quick service, where they don't serve you), then chatted. 

It was so great. 

Want RunDisney tips?

I highly recommend finding a training track to follow. If you're starting out, Couch to 5K is great, there is a ton on the RunDisney website, and there's accountability everywhere (which is the only way I would've become a successful runner). I've even got a free RunDisney training group on FB. Let me know if you want in!

Got any questions, ask away!

I'd love to hear about your RunDisney experiences too! 

My 21 Day Gut Health Cleanse

The Ultimate Reset is a 21 Day Cleanse committed to eating clean and living a healthy life. 

This cleanse is NOT easy. It's created to work. It's created to learn about sacrifice.

What I learned: 

- so much about discipline

- how to grocery shop and prepare

- how to enjoy new healthy, portioned, nutritious meals

- freedom from things holding me down

- needs vs. wants

What can change: 

- A transformation physically, mentally, and emotionally

- The body's detoxification process 

- Weightloss

 - Improved my energy levels

- Postive attitude

- Better regularity

 - Improved cholesterol

Was it easy? No. Just like a good workout, this is tough and will bring challenges. 

What made it easier? A support of a ton of people online are doing it/have done it too AND the support of an accountability buddy. 

What does it entail? 

- taking targeted supplements: detox, power greens, soothe, mineralize, optimize, and revitalize.

- lots of water + sleep

- a daily meal plan with specific recipes for all 21 days of the reset

- lots of cooking and meal prepping

- an option for only light workouts, like walking or yoga

I accounted for every meal I ate, for accountability and encouragement for others on their journey. Every meal is on Instagram. 

Here are a few examples of what an average day might 

look like (this is day 2, day 11, and day 18): 

So...let's get to it. 

Why did I decide to dive in and commit to doing the Ultimate Reset? 

If you've been following me, you might know that my husband and I struggle with infertility. 

Since last summer, I haven't been able to manage my weight despite my daily workouts, my portion control, my daily superfood shake.

I have the BEST tools and the BEST accountability. 

But sometimes, things like infertility like to rear their ugly head and mess even more up. 

Why? 

A year of hormone imbalance, infertility meds, lots of pain and testing, loss, 

hypothyroidism, stress, cutting back from workouts (per doctors request), ..did I mention hormone imbalances had me shopping for new clothes and looking for change.

Hormone imbalances impact SO much of our lives. 

But you know what? Sometimes even when it feels like everything is uncontrollable...sometimes, you can eat clean, workout, stay positive but still things are not in your control. 

 I found my way to control it in 21 days. 

I found my way to control it with the Ultimate Reset. 

In 21 days...

I got rid of: 13 lbs., built up toxins, an addiction to coffee, hopelessness, the need to snack

I gained: energy, feeling  legitimately "cleaner", better sleep, hope, a perspective change, more of an understanding of food, freedom, control

This is not easy to share. But, I've committed to helping people, 

so that takes priority over my comfort zone. 

Our infertility struggle does not get to win this one. 

Let me repeat, our infertility struggle does not get to win this one. 

I'm already back to my workout routines, committed to keeping up these habits, and I'm excited for this momentum as summer rolls in. 

If you're interested in the Ultimate Reset, I would love to walk beside you as you find the freedoms I have found. Click here to join my next challenge and we'll get you started. 

What is the All Access Pass?

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you've probably seen that I've been super excited about major news! Team Beachbody has launched a new program for it's customers and coaches (new and old)! I remember when I used to have to drive to the gym, fight over equipment, spray it down to get previous gym-goers sweat off, and then worry that my cellulite was showing or if I would fall off the treadmill or if I was using a machine wrong, fit it in my schedule with their limited hours and limited parking spots....and THEN I remember a time when I finally fired my gym after I found at-home workouts. I bought a challenge pack, started drinking Shakeology, I'd pop in a DVD and workout at home for 30 minutes a day and found incredible results. THEN, I remember when Beachbody switched over from using DVDs to having the capability to stream our workouts. This changed the game. Not only could I stream all of the workouts I had bought from my iPad, phone, Mac, or T.V. but I could also have access to programs and a healthy cooking show at my disposal. What a game changer!

It's kind of like how we all used to drive to Blockbuster, spend time picking out a movie, drive back home, put it in our VHS or DVD players, then have to make sure we got it back to Blockbuster on time or we would be fined! Do you remember a day when we had to watch shows (AND commercials) live or we couldn't see them!? Now, most of us stream all of our shows and movies through Netflix or Hulu! Can you believe how much has changed in just a few years?

So, what does this have to do with fitness and a healthy lifestyle??
Well, as technology changes, so does our lifestyle, right? There will never be a way around clean eating and exercise for a healthy weightloss and while that's not changing, what is changing is the incredibly vast tools and options we have to get the results we want! About 3 years ago, I was one of the first people to try the 21 Day Fix; you may have heard of it! This program completely changed my life and my husband's life! I learned how to eat with proper portions, grocery shop, meal prep, and fit 30 minutes of workouts in my busy schedule with the support of a challenge group.

It's crazy that in these short 3 years, how much I've seen change within this world of Beachbody -- the company, trainers, and technological team is constantly move with the times and help us get the results we want, to feel our best! I've really seen firsthand how Beachbody On Demand has helped change so many lives--especially for mamas!

The latest and greatest announcement is the new Annual All-Access Beachbody on Demand Challenge Pack and Membership! You've heard of programs like P90X, Insanity, 21 Day Fix, Cize, Country Heat, Brazilian Butt Lift, and PiYo, right? Well, maybe you've bought one of the DVD's and you fell off your plan. Maybe you've been wanting to try a new program, maybe go from Pilates to now dancing? Guess what? This program not only provides you with EVERY program created by Beachbody, but also includes future releases. You'll have access to all of these incredible, diverse programs on a digital library you can access plus anything new with no additional purchase for 12 entire months! This incredible opportunity has a limited availability for purchase.

Reasons I think that the Annual All-Access Beachbody on Demand will give an opportunity for even better results and why I can't wait to upgrade my account to it...

Here's what you'll get:
- 1 year membership to Beachbody on Demand (aka BOD) with all content plus future releases
- Portion Fix (which includes a 7 piece portion control container system, an eating guide, container, and a shaker cup)
- Your choice of Shakeology flavor (a 30 day supply on home direct)

For an entire year, ALL for $160 -- with no monthly fees
(Business Starter Kit will be waived if you choose the coach enrollment choice at time of purchase)

The reason this is SUPER incredible news is because all of this is worth thousands of dollars...but to be honest, the real reason I'm so excited is for how Beachbody has changed my life.
I always say that I would've paid my $140 (the original cost of my first challenge pack - which included a bag of Shakeology, the 21 Day Fix DVDs, and the portion fix container system) over and over and over to find freedom in eating, to find freedom in weightloss, to find freedom from searching for something, to find confidence, to find energy, the list goes on....
As your coach, I'll be able to help you:
- plan which programs you want to do to help you get your results.
- every single step of the way.
- be encouraged and have support every single day in our challenge groups.
- create meal plans and recipes for your whole family.
- create discipline and time management to create a healthy lifestyle.
- find freedom, confidence, energy, and weightloss.

As we choose programs and meal plans, the goal will be to create a sustainable healthy lifestyle. You'll have so many options to help you achieve your goals. We can mix, match, and change your plans to find what works for you so this is the year that you don't give up!

My next accountability wellness group officially launches on April 3rd! We will all be setting achievable goals, logging our workouts, our nutrition plans, and Shakeology weekly in an app so you can see how far you've come, to stay on track, be encouraged by others with 24/7 support!

Now here are all the nitty gritty details:
-To order at the discounted -$20 off rate for this month only: http://tinyurl.com/gymforayear
           - Click on 'All Access Annual Pass with Shakeology Challenge Pack'
           - Choose your Shakeology flavor (now even more vegan flavors)
           - You'll be added to our next challenge group for daily support
           - Congrats! You've done the hardest step -- choosing your health and life!
- If you're already a BOD customer, call 1-800-470-7870 and cancel your existing On Demand service and upgrade to the All Access account.
- The Annual All Access Beachbody On Demand Challenge Pack is $160 (JUST THIS MONTH).
- Without Shakeology, the Annual All Beachbody on Demand (for just the accessibility to the workouts online and without one-on-one support, Shakeology nutrition, or portion containers for proper nutrition is $99.95.

Click here to ask questions or join us! 

Thai Green Curry (Paleo-Friendly)

If you don't know, my husband and I spent 18 days in Thailand last October. When we got back, all I wanted was Thai food. The cool part about eating in Thailand, is that other than the rice, most of their meals are paleo friendly. Last time I did Whole30, I made a few Thai dishes, so I knew I had to make one this round. I adapted this Thai green curry from various recipes that I found and I'm obsessed.

Serves: 2

Prep & cook time: 25 minutes

What you need: 

- 2 6-8 oz filets of salmon

- about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms

- 1 red bell pepper, diced

- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

- 13.5 oz can Thai Kitchen coconut milk

- 2 tbsp Thai Kitchen green curry paste

- 2 heads of baby boy choy, chopped

- 4 tbsp olive oil

- 1 chopped onion

- sale & pepper

- spices: basil, garlic, ginger (better fresh, but if not, that's okay)

To make: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Place salmon on tinfoil. Rub olive oil evenly on salmon and dash salt & pepper

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes

4. Chop veggies
5. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and sauce veggies
(for about 4 minutes, until tender)

6. Add the 2 tbsp of the green curry paste and let cook for another 2 minutes

7. Bring stove top to a low heat, add coconut milk

8. Remove salmon from oven

9. Spoon some sauce onto plate, add salmon, then add more sauce and veggies

That's it! 

You could easily substitute the salmon with eggplant (for a vegetarian/vegan option), or chicken if you're not a salmon fan. 

For more recipes like this, be sure to follow me on Facebook and share with your friends. 

Healthy Pineapple Dole Whip

If you're anything like me, you LOVE Disney and a trip to the Magic Kingdom wouldn't be the same without either Mickey's Premium or a Pineapple Dole Whip. What if I told you that you can enjoy that Dole Whip at home without all that bad stuff? 

Check it: 

 Blend until creamy!

When I'm at the parks, Mickey's Premium bars and Dole Whips can be super tempting, right?? But, they're not only pricey, but we adults need all of the energy and fuel we can get for long days in the warm parks, right? What if I told you that you can fulfill that sweet tooth without all of the calories and this treat wouldn't only sustain you but also give you an extra dose of superfood vitamins!? 

I never hit the park without my shaker cup and a packet of Shakeology. 

When my friends want their Dole Whip, I've got my chocolate superfoods. 

Let me know if you want to give it a try; there's a money back guarantee so what's the harm?

Aloha!