It’s in the Bag: Quinoa

Time to highlight another awesome superfood you can find in the bag....(the bag of Shakeology that is!) Today's Superfood is one of my favorites; QUINOA! (pronounced "keen-wa").

Many people think that quinoa is a grain, but it’s actually a seed. Quinoa originated in the Andean region of Ecuador and Peru and is now imported from other regions, such as Chile. The seed is very delicate and usually has to be harvested by hand.

Quinoa’s nutrient composition is great! Each seed is high in fiber and contains essential amino acids and good quantities of calcium, phosphorous, and iron. I love it because I know that when I make it for my family, we are getting many nutrients that our bodies need.

Quinoa is a perfect choice for vegans (and those who are lactose intolerant) because of it’s high calcium and protein content (when compared to grains such as rice, millet, and wheat).

Need any more proof that quinoa is super awesome? Try it for yourself and you will feel it's powerful effects!! The best part about quinoa – it’s in the bag! Click here for a complete nutrient profile of Shakeology.

Reminder: Shakeology comes with a "Bottom of the Bag" guarantee. That means if you aren't 100% satisfied, you can mail an empty bag back to Beachbody for a complete refund. So you REALLY don't have anything to lose...except maybe a little weight! Buy your bag here.

My Food: Slow Cooker Southwestern 2 Bean Chicken (Clean Eating)

 

This delicious recipe from The Gracious Pantry fulfills my need for a Tex-Mex flavored dish while allowing me to eat clean!

Yields: 10 cups

Ingredients:
4 raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice (low sodium) – or you can dice your own fresh tomatoes
1 pound frozen, thawed organic corn (avoid GMO corn)
1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa (no sugar added)

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and salsa over the chicken, then layer on the beans and then the corn.
2. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until the chicken falls apart when the pot is stirred.

It's in the bag: Goji Berry

The Goji berry is an amazing super-food!  Also known as the wolf berry, it is a bright orange-red berry that is native to Asia and southeastern Europe This berry has been eaten for centuries, but has become really popular in the last decade or so because of its nutrient value and antioxidant content. 

Goji berries are grown on vines and have a distinctive flavor resembling a combination of cherries and cranberries. These berries pack a nutritional punch! They are a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, and E. In fact, they have 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than organges.

Goji berries also contain 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals (including zinc, copper, iron, and calcium). They are a great source of antioxidants, and have been found to boost immune function, protect vision, prevent heart disease, and they even have anti-aging benefits!

So, how can you consume the Goji Berry and where can you find it? Well, it is an ingredient in Shakeology so that is my main source, but you can buy the berries whole or dried (they look kind of like red raisins) and use them in soups, sauces, and salads. 

You can try Shakeology risk-free with our bottom-of-the-bag guarantee. Get your daily dose of dense nutrition (like goji berries) with the healthiest meal of the day. :)

New Move Monday: Arm workout

It's almost summer, and tank-top season is quickly approaching!  Here's a 3-part arm workout that will strengthen your biceps, triceps, and shoulders and help you get tanktop ready!

 

 

(1)    Lateral shoulder raise (shoulders):  This is an isolation exercise, so focus on stretch and muscle contraction, not heaviness of weights. 

• To perform this move, start by standing straight up, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart (knees slightly bent) or in a split-stance position, with the weights at your side. Your palms should be facing your body.
• SLOWLY raise your arms shoulder level, approximately parallel to the floor.  (Do not let the wrists go above the elbows, and do not bring the weights higher than your shoulders).
• Lower the weights back to starting position (do not let the weights touch your body).  Your weights should come up to your shoulders but not higher.
• Perform 12-15 reps

(2)    Tricep extensions (triceps): This is another isolation exercise, so again focus on stretch and muscle contraction.

 

• To perform this move, start by standing straight up, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart (knees slightly bent) or in a split-stance position, with both hands wrapped around the handle of a single weight (hands above head, arms vertical to the floor, elbows facing forward but not locked).
• Keeping your upper arms in the same position (vertical to the floor), SLOWLY bend your elbows, lowering the weight behind your head, until your elbows are at 90 degrees.  (Do not change the position of the rest of your body, and do not make contact with the back of your head). The elbows should stay in toward your ears
• Return to the starting position by slowly pressing the weight overhead until your arms are again vertical to the floor, elbows facing forward but not locked.
• Perform 12-15 reps

(3)    Bicep hammer curls (biceps & forearms): The benefit to this exercise vs. a regular curl is that it keeps you in a neutral wrist position, keeping the tension on the biceps.

 

• To perform this move, start by standing straight up, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart (knees slightly bent) or in a split-stance position, with the weights at your side. Your palms should be facing eachother (toward your body).
• SLOWLY squeeze the biceps to curl the weights toward the shoulders. (Keep the elbows locked in at your sides). Raise the weights until the forearms are vertical to the floor and the thumbs are facing the shoulder (Don’t lean back!)
• Lower to the starting position, keeping a slight bend in the elbow at the bottom.
• Note: you can do these using both arms at the same time, or one at a time.
• Perform 12-15 reps

Repeat this entire routine 3-5 times.




 

Clean Eating Chicken Stuffed Pears

 

I'll admit - mine didn't turn out quite as pretty as these from The Gracious Pantry, but they were so delicious!  We made them for dinner one night, and I used the leftovers the next day for lunch.

 

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

12.5 oz home cooked, shredded chicken (or can chicken)
1.5 teaspoons fresh, chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons juice sweetened, dried cranberries
¼ cup walnut pieces
2 large, perfectly ripe pears

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chicken, rosemary, cranberries and walnut pieces
2. Cut your pears in half and scoop out JUST the seeds and middle section, being sure to leave as much of the flesh in tact as possible.
3. Now scoop out some of the flesh from the pears and add that to the chicken as well. Leave at least 1/4 - 1/3 inch thickness in the pear halves.
4. Stir until well combined
5. Fill the pear halves with chicken salad and serve.

 

It's in the Bag: Maca

Time to highlight another awesome superfood you can find in the bag....(the bag of Shakeology that is!)

Maca is another root that is native to the high Andes of Peru and is closely related to the radish and turnip.  The natural environment for maca is a higher elevation, which means that there is little need for pesticides because the climates in these areas are not suitable for weeds or pests.  Furthermore, farmers have actually found that the root itself is known to repel insects.

Maca is mainly grown for the nutritional and health value of the root.  It is usually dried and then crushed into a flour that can be used for baking purposes.

Benefits of the root include:
- It helps balance hormones in the body (which can be a great benefit to those who have hyperthyroidsm).
- It increases energy and endurance
- It enhances fertility, reduces anxiety/stress
- It reduces hormonal dysfunction during menopause. 

Let me break this down simply: It is ESPECIALLY great for women because of how critical it is for our hormones to be in balance for us to lose weight efficiently. Thanks, Shakeology creators, for making sure maca is in the bag! :)

Click here for a complete nutrient profile of Shakeology.

Reminder: Shakeology comes with a "Bottom of the Bag" guarantee. That means if you aren't 100% satisfied, you can mail an empty bag back to Beachbody for a complete refund. So you REALLY don't have anything to lose...except maybe a little weight! Buy your bag here.

New Move Monday: Burpees

The burpee, sometimes called the squat thrust, is the ultimate full body exercise for strength and aerobic training.  Each repetition works the chest, arms, front deltoids, thighs, hamstrings, and abs.  High intensity exercises like burpees also burn up to 50% more fat than conventional strength training exercises.

The benefits of burpees: they are free (no equipment required) and portable (you can do them anywhere!)

How to do a burpee:
1. Start in standing position (tight core, feet shoulder-width apart)
2. Drop into a squat position (palms face down on the floor, knees over toes, tight core)
3. Kick your legs back into a pushup position (think plank – straight line from shoulders to heels, tight core, eyes forward)
4.  Return to the squat position (hands on the ground, knees over toes, tight core)
5. Stand and then jump up and reach (bringing arms over head, tight core)
Repeat steps 2-5 moving in quick succession in order to get the conditioning benefits of this exercise. I recommend starting with two sets of 10 reps.

Beginners: Start slow when you first try the exercise.  As your fitness level improves, you can do more to increase the difficulty.

Advanced athletes: after you kick out your feet into the push-up position, go ahead and do a full push-up!

With this exercise, you can perform 10 to 20 reps as a warm-up, as a cardio burst during circuit training or even as a stand-alone workout when you’re crunched for time.

My Food: Clean Eating Chicken Tex Mex Alfredo Pasta

  

Yum! We loved this recipe from the Gracious Pantry!  When I looked at the ingredients, I wasn’t too sure about it, but it really was delicious. A clean twist on a Tex-Mex dish… so good!

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

½ pound cooked whole wheat pasta
3 cooked, large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shred or cubed

Sauce Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) container plain, low-fat cottage cheese
½ cup salsa, no sugar added
1 dash cumin (optional)
1 dash chili powder (optional)

Topping suggestions:
Chopped, fresh tomatoes
Chunks of avocado
Fresh cilantro
Olives
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, liquefy the cottage cheese. With some brands, this may not happen completely. You’ll still have chunks of cottage cheese left, but that’s ok – you’ll be blending it anyway.
2. Put the warm cottage cheese and the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you feel the sauce is too thick, feel free to add a splash or two of milk until you reach your desired consistency
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine your pasta, chicken, and any toppings you’d like to add. Mix well.
4. Put your pasta mix on a plate and pour some sauce over the top to serve. Serve quickly as the sauce cools fast.

Note: If using avocados, you may want to top the sauce with the avocado, as mixing it in can make it rather mushy.  In fact, when I made mine, I added all of the toppings at the end rather than combining them in step 3.

It's In The Bag: Gingko

You’ve probably heard that Gingko is special, but you may not know why.  Not only is Gingko an herb that can restore many body functions, but it is also used as medicine.

 

But why specifically did the creators of Shakeology feel that it was important to add it to the shake? Let's dig in…

• Gingko helps improve cognitive functions such as thinking and memory. It is often used for memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as thinking disorders related to Lyme disease and depression.

• Gingko has been shown to improve eye problems including glaucoma, diabetic eye disorder, and macular degeneration.

• It also helps improve blood flow to the brain and extremities (good for people with Raynaud’s syndrome). People who struggle to walk long distances because of the pain of low blood circulation can greatly benefit from taking gingko because it reduces pain by increasing blood flow.

• It significantly helps reduce dizziness and balance disorders.

• This one's for the ladies: Gingko helps significantly reduce symptoms of PMS! (But guys...indirectly, that helps you too!)

 

The only way to take Gingko is in supplement form, basically in pill form, or in Shakeology.

 

If you have been having any of the above issues, I would LOVE for you to try Shakeology and keep track of any and all improvements. When you include gingko into the list of all of the other untouchable ingredients...you will undoubtedly notice a big difference!

 

Here's how much I believe it will help: Try Shakeology, and if you don't like it you can send it back - EVEN IF YOU FINISHED THE WHOLE BAG! Shakeology comes with a 'Bottom of the Bag' guarantee so that if you are not totally satisfied with the results you can return it for a full refund.

 

So you really don't have anything to lose...except of course, for a few negative symptoms and maybe a few pounds... :)

 

 

 

New Move Monday: Walking Lunges

 

Walking lunges are truly one of the greatest leg exercises you can do.  Here’s why: you not only get a fantastic leg workout, but you are also working on flexibility at the same time. Each lunge forces your body to stretch into a lowered position that allows the hip flexors of the back leg to elongate and open. That means you get strength, conditioning, toning, and flexibility benefits from just this one exercise.

How to do walking lunges:
1. Stand upright, feet together, holding dumbbells (5-8 lbs) by your sides with your palms facing towards your body (Note: if you are new to these, try them without weight the first few times and concentrate on form.  To make this more challenging, increase the weight)
2. Lunge forward with one leg, as deeply as you comfortably can. (Lower hips toward the floor, bending both knees. The back knee should come close to but never touch the ground. Your front knee should be directly over the ankle and the back knee should be pointing down toward the floor.)
3. Push back up and forward through the front leg's heel.
4. Step forward and repeat with the opposite leg for 10-15 total repetitions

Tips to Remember:
1. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and your chin parallel to the floor the entire time
2. Do not let your front knee go over the front foot
3. Breathe in on the way down and out on the way up
4. Keep your arms by your sides throughout each repetition

If you are doing these in a tight space, don't try to lunge around corners. You don't want to take a chance of getting out of alignment.

One additional tip - for an additional challenge, take these outside and up a hill! Walking lunges uphill is an INSANE great workout!



My Food: Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken Verde

 

 

I just love this EASY crock-pot recipe from The Gracious Pantry!  It takes almost no time to prepare, so it’s great for days when I’m super-busy.

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
2 raw chicken breasts (about 7 ounces each)
1 cup crushed pineapple, no sugar added, packed in pineapple juice
½ cup clean chili verde sauce (or verde salsa)

Directions:
1. Place the chicken breasts in your slow cooker.
2. Pour ½ cup crushed pineapple over each chicken breast.
3. Pour ¼ cup chili verde sauce over each chicken breast.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the chicken easily falls apart when poked with a fork

Serving Suggestions: Serve over brown rice or quinoa and with a green side salad.

It's in the Bag: Yacon Root

 

Each Wednesday, I’ll be posting about a different super-food… my first spotlight: The Yacon Root.

 

Most people probably haven’t heard of this root before.  The yacon root is native to the lower Andean region of Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru.  This root is best known for it’s crisp, sweet-tasting flavor and is also one of the KEY prebiotic ingredients in Shakeology - hence the title of this blog series...it's in the bag!

What is a prebiotic?

Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of good bacteria (probiotics) in the digestive system.

Why do you need a prebiotic?

Prebiotics help maintain good intestinal health and digestion. They help to increase your body’s ability to extract nutrients from the food you eat. So first and foremost, your body is getting more of the nutrients it needs.  As an added bonus, if your body can absorb more nutrients from nutritious food, you may feel less hungry and won't be tempted to eat as much, which helps with weight loss!

The yacon root is known for its natural sweetness and is used as a syrupy sweetener.  It contains more than 50% fructooligosacharides (or FOS), a super-long word that means “a type of sugar that the stomach doesn't easily digest” – which means that it settles into the intestine and aids in digestion. This is great for diabetics because it does not spike blood sugar levels.

A few other Yacon Root facts:

- It has antioxidant properties that help fight free radicals in your body (fighting aging and disease)
- It promotes the elimination of toxins (good for kidneys)
- It has the highest concentration of prebiotics of any plant in the world
- It may help to reduce cholesterol levels
- It helps support a strong immune system

You can buy yacon root online, but you can also get it in your bag of Shakeology wrapped up in chocolaty, greenberry or tropical strawberry goodness! Click here for a complete nutrient profile of Shakeology.

Reminder: Shakeology comes with a "Bottom of the Bag" guarantee. That means if you aren't 100% satisfied, you can mail an empty bag back to Beachbody for a complete refund. So you REALLY don't have anything to lose...except maybe a little weight! Buy your bag here!