I LOVE DIY PROJECTS!

Totally not health or fitness related, but . . . I am a huge DIY fan!  We have furnished the entire nursery for less than $200.  I've sewed crib bedding (with the help of my beautiful cousin!), restored and completely redone a dresser I found on Craigslist, repainted a used crib, redid old classroom book shelves, restored a very old 4 drawer nightstand, made a crate nightstand, made gutter book shelves and repainted and fixed the upholstery on a glider I found off of Craigslist.  We've been busy!

So thought I would share a few photos :-) because I am just so excited for our baby girl to get here in 4 weeks or so!!!  If you want to know how things were done, feel free to contact me!  I don't mind sharing!

Unhealthy vs. Healthy Body Image in Marketing

Unrealistic expectations are placed on us, particularly woman, because of marketing and the technology behind photo editing. Many of you may have seen or heard about the Target Photoshop Fail in a recent swimsuit ad. Several pictures of girls in this season's swimwear left obvious Photoshop editing, where you can see where thighs were erased leaving an unrealistic thigh gap, underarm skin/fat was erased, waists were whittled, limbs were lengthened, etc. 

The photo to the left shows this. Shame on you Target - this is why so many woman, and young teenage girls (who this ad is targeting because it is a Junior's swimsuit) think they should look like something a real, flesh and blood woman, can not look like without starving themselves and being UNHEALTHY! Although I have never personally struggled with an eating disorder, I certainly can relate to feeling sub-par and have several women I know and love who have struggled with eating disorders. Photos like this and the extreme editing most magazines and ads partake in only feed self esteem issues, unrealistic expectations, and eating disorders.

On a brighter note, kuddos to Aerie (photo on right) for their real beauty campaign. They are no longer editing or retouching their photos, it is real women, with real beauty. Sure, most of these women are still models, but they are venturing into different sized woman as well. We are not all shaped the same! And you can really tell in their photos, they haven't been retouched! Skin is not flawless, thigh gaps are small or realistic looking, etc. I say GO AERIE! If only more retailers would take this approach. Here is a little more about their campaign: http://en.bellebeirut.com/b-city-news/aerie-real-embraces-natural-beauty/

So women, and men, focus on living a healthy lifestyle. Don't compare yourself to others, particularly what you see on magazines, etc. that is not realistic anyways. Just worry about fitness and nutrition and fostering good health - that is what matters! Trust me, I am speaking to myself too. And I will now stop my venting  . . .

What's Cooking Wednesday: Paleo Egg Muffins

So I made up these bad boys and they are yummy! Sorry, couldn't think of a more creative name :-).  All about prepping breakfast food this week! I love breakfast food! Anyways, I know many need quick grab and go options for breakfast before work, so here is another paleo option:

Ingredients:
2 bell peppers, diced
1/2 onion diced
2 cups of spinach, torn
3 pieces Canadian bacon, chopped
8 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage, oregano

You really can use whatever spices and veggies/meats you want. Just make sure you brown the meat in a skillet if it is not already cooked.

Directions:
1) Get your veggies and meats ready and chopped
2) Beat the eggs, egg whites, milk, and spices together in a bowl
3) Stir in all your veggies and/or meat
4) Fill an oiled (I sprayed with olive oil) or paper lined muffin tin
5) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! Refrigerate to heat up and enjoy all week!

Breakfast Meal Prep

Hey fit fam!  So usually over the weekend I do some meal preparation for the week.  On Sunday I made these yummy breakfast on-the-go options as well as some Shakeology protein bars which I posted last week.  Lately, preggers here has been CRAVING all breakfast carbs, but I don't like buying store bought items and I try to eat mainly the paleo diet.  So . . . drumroll, I found s/altered ome paleo friendly breakfast item recipes!  Both freeze really well, so you can make a bunch at one time, put them in the freezer, and then pop them in the toaster or microwave to warm up!  So they are paleo pumpkin waffles which I like to eat with a little almond butter and honey on top and then paleo pumpkin muffins, which I eat plain.  They both are super filling because actually pack quite a bit of protein and fiber!

Paleo Pumpkin Waffles:  

*Makes 6-7 big waffles in a waffle maker.  I usually eat only half at a time, so really is 12-14 servings

*Can also use the same batter to make pancakes, I recommend cooking the pancakes in coconut oil

• Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 TBSP honey
• 3 TBSP pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP pumpkin pie spice

Directions:  

1) Mix all the ingredients together, best to mix wet ingredients first, combine dry ingredients, and mix in gradually to avoid lumps.

2) Spray a waffle maker with olive oil, and pour about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of batter into the waffle maker at one time.  Cook until desired level of crispiness and browning.

3) Let them cool after you have cooked all the bettter, place in freezer approved bag well sealed.  To enjoy later, toast in a toaster until heated and crisped to your preference!

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins:

*Makes a dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 whole eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray or line with cups. Combine all the ingredients until smooth. (Fold in chocolate chips if using them)

2. Distribute the batter evenly into the muffin pan. Bake 15-20 minutes (until the center is firm and the tops start to crack)

3. Cool them in pan and then on a rack. For best shelf life, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. (They freeze really well too!)

At Home Upper Body Focus Workout

For the bicep curls,if you don't have any dumbbells or weights laying around, try to find a heavy object you can hold in your hand - get creative!  Let me know if you aren't sure what something is, and I will help you out!

Spaghetti Squash with Veggies and Shrimp

So I decided to be a little creative tonight and make up my own dinner recipe.  Here are the ingredients I used (I didn't measure but here are the estimates :-) . . .  It made about 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash
1/2 large onion (diced)
1 tomato (diced)
2 carrots (shredded)
3 TBSP sliced fresh basil
3 cups spinach
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white cooking wine
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP garlic
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups shrimp (cleaned, de-veined, tail-off)
Pine nuts

Directions

1) Cut the spaghetti squash into halves.  Then spoon out the seeds much like you would for a pumpkin.  
2) Then cut the spaghetti squash into quarters and place in a steamer over water.  Steam/Boil the spaghetti squash for about 20 minutes over medium-high heat.  Pierce it to make sure it is tender.  While the squash is cooking, place the garlic, onions, and olive oil in a pan to saute until the onions are tender.  Then add the carrots and tomato and saute for about 2 more minutes.  Then add the broth, white cooking wine, and spices and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Leave out the shrimp, spinach, and basil for now.
3) Place the spaghetti squash somewhere to cool.  Then slide a spoon with pressure between the squash and the skin, it will come right out!  So easy :-). 
4) Let the squash cool for a minute or two.  Go ahead and add the raw shrimp and spinach and basil to your pan and cover.  The shrimp will become pink when cooked.  Add in the spaghetti squash.
5) Serve and top with pine nuts and salt and pepper to taste.  I also added a little more fresh basil :-).

3 Programs on Sale for Month of March!!!

March is the month of savings apparently at Beachbody! Three programs/challenge packs are on promotion this month! Two are the popular Les Mills classes you probably have seen at many gyms: Pump and Combat..  But guess what?  You can do them out off the comfort of your own home! No commuting, finding child care, etc.  And the Ultimate reset is a cleansing/detox program that focuses on clean eating and nutrition. Let me know if you are interested and we will get you set up with these awesome programs! Comment below or message me! I'm thinking I may have to take advantage of these savings! My collection is ever growing, who needs a gym?