Kale Chips! Easy and SOOO delicious!

Oh my gosh!  As many of you know, I have NOT had good experience with Kale. In fact it was to the point I banned it from my own grocery cart every time "I thought" that I would try it just "one more time...". Yep!  Totally true!  I have tried it steamed, sautéed, in my Shake (that was a HUGE disaster) and yes, even these little beauties I pictured above.

Anyhow a very good friend of mine offered to come to my house and actually make them FOR me to regain my trust in this "supposed" awesome green!  So she did. I ate every last bit and now have a secret addiction!

Here is how to create a delicious snack that adds that crispy crunch that we love from those regular chips we "used" to buy!  ha ha

INGREDIENTS:
*Need 1 bunch of kale
Olive Oil
Sea Salt and/ or seasonings (i.e.: cumin, paprika, garlic powder?)
2 baking trays

How To:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Line tinfoil on cookie sheets if you want less mess!
Peel and break apart leaves off the stalk of the kale and rinse in colander. Dry with paper towel and place on cookie sheet. 

Drizzle olive oil over the leaves and then KNEAD all the leaves to ensure that each leaf is coated with oil. (*That my friends was the missing link the first time I tried them! ha ha) 

Sprinkle with a seasoning and/or a dash of sea salt. Some seasoning ideas include: cumin, paprika, garlic powder.  I actually used a rub that I have made that I like on my steak!)

Then line the cookie sheet with ONE LAYER of kale leaves (*also another link missing when I first made them!). If the leaves are all over on top of each other they won't bake well.

Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, take out and FLIP the leaves over and bake for another 5-10 minutes until leaves are crispy! Totally addicting! May you all enjoy and feel better about getting in those greens! xo

Key Nutrition Elements for Success

Personal Nutrition is a key element in both fitness and overall health. Your body is a powerful machine but unless you fuel it properly, just like any machine, it won’t run efficiently. That is why counting calories shouldn't even be considered!  Nutrition will be a major factor in your health and fitness goals, no matter if you are trying to lose weight or build muscles or just looking for energy!

This has been an important area of focus for Beachbody with supplements like Shakeology.
The most important thing is eating whole foods and bypassing the junk, artificial sweeteners and processed foods of low quality. But healthy food alone may not be enough for your body, depending on your activity level and quality of foods in your area.  One of the GURUS on Shakeology is Seay Stanford. If you haven't heard of her, I encourage you to find her blog. I recently attended a session she did on Shakeology. She had a wonderful presentation that she shared. And one of the things that she pointed out was the fact that the majority of us are nutrient and vitamin deficient.  How do you know if you are nutrient or vitamin deficient?  Well are you fatigued all the time?  Are you lacking energy? Cranky? Moody?  Crave junk food all the time? Those are all indicators of having a deficiency in your nutrition!

For me personally, if you have ever heard my story, I "tried" Shakeology and with in ONE week, I felt rejuvenated.  I know for a fact that it WAS the Shakeology that had an impact because I ate clean and exercised a year prior to getting involved in a Beachbody Challenge group and still napped all the time!

For most people your body will benefit from the additional nutritional value that Shakeology has to offer and I am one of those people, not to mention the success stories that I frequently share!

To build great fitness results, as well as your overall health, it is important to eat enough protein to grow muscles or prevent their loss (which happens naturally over years), enough carbohydrates to support brain functions and enough healthy fats for normal functioning of the body (especially important for women). Add vitamins to this and the need for recovery after working out. Then pair that with the hectic and busy lives we live, and you will see how sometimes it can be hard to fulfill all these needs.

That is where our nutrition supplements will help. Check the supplements below to see more details on how each can help you reach your goals.

If you have time to read, I also HIGHLY recommend the book, "Superlife," by Darrin Olien.  It is an easy read and a book you can't put down once you get into it!  The book in details that the average person can understand really explains how the body works and how important nutrition and nourishing our bodies actually is!  

If you are feeling like you could add some pep to your step or are looking for some help to get back on track or to even find the track, I would love to help you reach your personal wellness & fitness goals.  Comment below or email me [Link at the top of the page]

I hope you have a fabulous week!!! 

Lime & Cilantro Cucumber Salad Recipe

As summer comes to an end - this would be a great salad to put together for an end of the summer get together!  Cilantro adds so much flavor to this recipe. A must have for our family!
 
  Ingredients

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cucumbers, very finely sliced (see photos)
4 tablespoons minced cilantro, to taste

Instructions
Dice the Jalapeno and garlic and add to a medium-sized bowl.
Add 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
Use a whisk to incorporate the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside. Finely slice the cucumbers.
Use a mandolin if you have it, but a very sharp knife will do the trick.
Add the cucumbers to the dressing and stir together. Finely mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Stir to combine. You can either let it sit in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours, or serve immediately.

 Do you have any cucumber recipes that you love? I would love to hear different recipes you have made!

Tips for a Happier and Healthier Lifestyle

Whether you’re at home or at work, looking after your body is an essential step towards being an energetic, happy, and confident mom.  This has taken me a while to realize, but it is key for my overall happiness and wellbeing.

Always start with breakfast 

A good breakfast sets you up for the day; it provides the energy you need to get through a busy morning, it improves concentration and cognitive skills and of course, it stops you feeling hungry mid-morning.

 A well balanced breakfast should include a variety of foods from the main food groups:

• Aim for a combination of whole grains to provide starchy carbohydrate for energy 
• Fruit to provide valuable vitamins and minerals 
• Eggs or Shakeology to provide protein! 

During the school year, especially I don't have a a lot of time to invest in preparing breakfast so I love that I can get my protein, fruit and somedays if I choose I even add oats to my Shakeology to get in that extra carb!

Aim for at least 2-5 a day 

It may sound like a cliché but eating more fruit and vegetables really can improve your sense of wellbeing.

Fruit and vegetables help us to stay healthy because they contain so many vitamins and minerals needed by different functions in the body, particularly the immune system. They’re an excellent source of dietary fibre, which helps maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems which can cause sluggishness and fatigue.

The amount of fruit you should allot yourself per day all depends on your health and fitness goals.  A great program that teaches the basics of nutrition for lifestyle or to lose weight is the 21 Day Fix!

Include some oily fish 

A healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish. That’s because fish and shellfish are good sources of many vitamins and minerals such as iodine and vitamin D which we don’t find in too many other foods. Oily fish – such as salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines and fresh tuna – is particularly rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which help to keep your heart healthy and boost immunity.

Keep well hydrated

Even mild dehydration (before you even feel thirsty) can make you feel tired and irritable (even without the loss of sleep), so drink little and often throughout the day to top up your fluid levels and maintain good hydration.

Healthy Snacks

When you’re concentrating hard at work or busy with the kids at home, the brain’s energy needs are high and a fall in blood sugar levels can impact on your performance

Try the following:

• Chopped fresh fruit such as melon or berries 
• Vegetables sticks 
•  A handful of dried fruit and mixed nuts or seeds 
• Wholegrain crackers with a slice or two of cheese 
• Rice cakes topped with natural peanut butter 
• Greek Yogurt Smoothies (*Shakeology is also great as a snack!) 
• A small amount of nuts 

Avoiding kids’ leftovers Avoiding your children’s leftovers can be a big problem.  They can also be called, "BLT's" (Bites.Licks.Tastes) Why do we do this? Because it’s there? Because we still feel guilty about the starving children our own parents told us about? Because hours-old pizza crusts and handfuls of semi-stale Cheerios just taste really, really good?  Did you know that "BLT's" can easily add an extra 200 calories onto your day!

Cheers to eating healthier!

Avocado Spinach Salad

Most people love avocados. But did you know that aside from tasting great, they’re also really nutritious? In a single serving avocados have 2 grams of protein, 15 grams of healthy fats, and 7 grams of fiber! Avocados are also considered to be a low-carb food. 

Spinach is another terrific plant food that’s loaded with lots of nutritious benefits. Eating spinach nourishes your skin, hair, bones, and is an incredible source of iron and folate. It’s also low in calories. Between the avocado and the spinach, it’s a great way to eat your favorite pasta dish and still get your veggies in your daily diet.

INGREDIENTS
10 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
1 clove garlic
1 avocado
1 cup fresh spinach
½ cup pecans
¼ cup basil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¾ to 1 cup pasta water
salt and pepper to taste

 INSTRUCTIONS
– Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
– While pasta is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients to your blender and blend until it turns into a smooth sauce. Start with ¾ cup of pasta water and add more as needed to get the consistency you want.
– Toss the pasta with the sauce in a bowl and serve immediately.

This sauce is best served the day it is made, as it uses avocados which will turn a brownish color.

I hope you enjoy this delicious meal! Please be sure to let me know how you liked it in the comments below.

To your health!

3 Day Refresh Low Down & Results

Thank you for checking out my 3 Day Refresh Results!  The 3 Day Refresh is suggested to do quarterly to maintain a healthy body weight. I have done the Refresh twice since beginning myjourney into health and wellness! 

Let's be honest, the majority of us have ups and downs every now and again and while we have the best intentions a slip up of a workout here and a sneak of a little bit of this and a little bit of that catches up with us sooner or later!  For me (and those of you that know me, know that my biggest trigger is change aka "MOVING!!"  In November last year, I started a new job and on top of that moved unexpectedly and well, almost 5lbs heavier than I like to maintain, I felt tired, zonked and felt like I just didn't have it in me to get back my groove back!!!  So for a kick start I bought the product and had AMAZING results!

Then I did awesome! In fact I did stellar from November - July, 2015.... until our next move! Gah!  Moving box after box got exhausting!  So partly because of my exhaustion and then excuses I made in my mind about how exhausted I was, my workouts were not 100%.  They were there, they were just pitiful!  And then I totally had my hand in the cookie jar WAY more than I should have and well I just started to feel it. My weight did go up a few lbs but it wasn't even that. It was my swollen fingers, headaches,  and pure bloat!  So I embarked on the 3 Day Refresh again.  It was awesome and I felt 10x better. So what does a 3 Day Refresh typically look like?  Easy peasy!  Although not everyone will tell you that!  I met some other girls and joined a challenge group for my Refresh and through our tips and tricks, it made the refresh a BREEZE!

Here is how my July Refresh went down....
The 3 Day Refresh entails a typical day of nutrition! The only major things missing from any other ordinary day would be animal based protein, dairy, your "regular" carbs, and of course coffee (unless you can handle it black!).

Two things were tricky about the Refresh for me this time.  The first was ensuring I got the daily water intake in me!  I didn't use any tricks like fruit or herbs in my water, but I did do my best to consume the water I needed-- as plain as it was!  The second thing that I missed (not that I found it hard by any means) was the animal based protein in the three days.  By the time the 3 days was finished I was ready to take a fork to that chicken breast!


The Vanilla Refresh (Protein Shake) will never ever take the place of the protein I usually like to consume but it is do able. This time, I tried to switch it up.  One day, I added frozen cherries and 1 tsp of pure almond extract.  Another day, I simply added cinnamon.  The second day, I added fresh picked strawberries and pure almond extract!  So the best thing for you to do, is to get creative with the Vanilla Refresh!

If you like ice tea, then the Fibre sweep is a CINCH!  You just have to be sure to use the coldest water possible, then blend it and drink fast! Yum!

With the Fibre Sweep I could also have a fruit AND veggie option as well as a healthy fat.  I opeted for fresh picked strawberries, celery topped with fresh avocado & garlic! Yum!!!

I did drink herbal tea this time 2x a day!  I found this delicious Green Tea with Brown Rice that I just love! I picked it up at a local food store here. Having the tea, made the evenings go by pretty fast!

One of my FAVE recipes was the Stir Fry! It turned out so well!  I could have eaten two bowls of this stuff! I picked up fresh veggies from the local Farmer's market to enhance this wicked stir fry! 

My results for the last round were also incredible! While I didn't have much to lose the last time, I actually ended up around the same place in my weight that I did the first time I did the Refresh in November!

   

If you are interested in trying out the Refresh or a challenge group with me and adding in the Refresh you can actually get a Kick Start Challenge Pack!  That includes: 30 Days of Shakeology, the 3 Day Refresh AND a workout program of your choice (*special programs only include the Kickstart)!  Free free to find me on Facebook or send an email to: Sasijewelry@gmail.com for more information! In addition I have an additional incentive for orders placed in the first week of August!!!!
Thank you for checking out my blog!

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Chow Mein

One of my lovely challengers, Terri shared a recipe and indicated how much she LOVED it so I thought I would give it a try. I LOVE chow mein and to have a healthier version than the local take-out order made sense to me! I took the recipe she used and adapted it to include my FAVE ingredients.  Again, another family favourite! When I made it, I cooked the spaghetti squash the evening prior and shredded it and then made the stir fry the next day!  It was easy peasy and quick to prepare!  10-15 mins to be exact having the squash pre-cooked!  Choose whichever works for you!

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash
2 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
1/4 c tamari (gluten free soy sauce found at the local Supermarket)  or you could use lite soy sauce
1 large clove red garlic minced ( or 3 cloves of reg. garlic, minced)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1.5 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
1 large carrot grated (I used my Titan peeler - peeled them into matchsticks)
1/2 c. shredded cabbage (*optional)
1 small package of fresh sliced mushrooms, rinsed

Directions: 
Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds.  Add about 1" of water to a pyrex or glass dish. Turn spaghetti squash face down (skin side up) in dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until flesh is very tender.  When done, let cool for a moment and scoop out flesh with a fork so it breaks apart into strings and set aside.  When I made it, I let it cool and then put it in the refrigerator over night.

In a small bowl, whisk together tamari, maple syrup, ginger and white pepper and set aside.

Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery and cook until tender (about 3-4 mins). Be sure to stir often! Then add grated carrots and shredded cabbage and cook another minute before adding sliced mushrooms. Cook another minute longer until heated through.  Stir in spaghetti squash, cooked chicken and soy sauce mixture.  Mix it until well combined, and if you are using pre-cooked spaghetti squash make sure it is heated through before serving!

Serves 4-6 ----->21 Day Fix: 2 Green, 1/2 red per serving
Enjoy!