So many of us are setting New Years Resolutions but I wanted to share a bit on why GOAL SETTING and ACTION STEPS are so important and valuable for you to reach your destination. I posted a live video I did talking through some of these ideas and knew that I couldn’t be the only one who struggles with this!
How many times have we started a new exercise program January 1st or FINALLY decided to go on a much needed diet to shed some holiday cookies? SO MANY TIMES!
But what happens? We start with excitement and vigor… but life settles in, the pounds don’t melt off as fast as we want and keeping to a new program or schedule is plain HARD.
Ugh. I hate it when things are hard. YUCK.
But it doesn’t have to be really REALLY hard if you do it right!
What if you took your goal… say loose 10 lbs… and broke that down into bite sized pieces!?
Make it realistic and reachable.
If you want to lose 10 lbs in 3 months then you would need to lose on average 3.33 lbs a month! WOAH! That seems pretty manageable! What if you THEN broke that down into weeks? All you would have to so is loose .83lbs a week! TOTALLY DOABLE!
Now break that down AGAIN into ACTION STEPS!
If you are trying to lose weight, what will help you get there? If 80% of weight loss is the type of FOOD you eat and 20% is building lean muscle (ditch the treadmill babe and pick up those weights!!) then you might need to focus on eating foods that will shed body fat. You also might want to cut the soda and increase your water. These are all the beginnings of action steps!
Now for the big kahuna. Lets take it one step further.
PUT. IT. IN. YOUR. SCHEDULE.
That’s right. Whether paper or digital, schedule it out.
Meal prep? Put it in the schedule. Lifting weights? Put it in the SCHEDULE. Need some better groceries so you can kick fast food? PUT IT IN THE SCHEDULE!
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail” -Benjamin Franklin
If you don’t actually PUT IT IN your schedule, it is most likely NOT going to happen. Don’t let perfection keep you from the progression. These things DO NOT change over night and you will NOT be perfect. That right all my recovering perfectionists… YOU CAN’T DO IT PERFECT. But there is hope in your growth! Even if you reach your goal 40… yay 60% of the time, that is a HUGE victory!!!
CELEBRATE THAT!
Don’t let another year slip right on past you.
SO friends, join me in the journey of the JOYS of goal setting and don’t let them fade in February. Lets stay focused and make this year full of abundance and discovery!
p.s. Click HERE: POWER OF A FOCUSED LIFE and check out the worksheet and schedule! Comment below with some of the areas you are looking to grow in this year!
Why am I soooooo black and white when it comes to this?
Healthy living is NOT my strong suit but something I truly long for. Why is it SO hard to find the balance in it all???
I will start a workout program or clean eating but place too high of expectations on myself and CRUMBLE after a few days or weeks. So my quest (and question) is what are some ways that we can actually walk in a healthy lifestyle and not beat ourselves up when it’s not PERFECT.
Do you do that?
Dang… I sure do!
I know so many of us struggle with finding the balance in the good, bad and UGLY days and fall off the wagon a little too easy. Pressure from culture tells us to look one way and then our body might want to look another.
So lets talk about it!!!
Check out the short video below and make sure to comment with some of your best tips and tricks, healthy eating and workout routines! When we are in the battle TOGETHER I know that we can go so much further!
Remember that the scale does not define you. Your pant size does not define you. The idolized image in your head does NOT define you.
God does.
He made you perfect and gave you YOUR body.
Love what He made. Come into agreement with His thoughts towards you and honor the frame He has given you. I am with you in the journey and have not yet found my “sweet spot” so to say… THAT’S OK!
Love where you are at and love yourself along the journey.
It’s all about balance, not perfection.
You are worth it!
Let me know what you love to do to keep it all in balance!
Make sure to comment below with your TOP TIPS!
Weekends are always hard for me to stay on track and eat healthy. Its like this switch goes off inside of me and the Chocolate monster comes out… and when the chocolate monster is present, anything green and good for you should run for cover. So instead of running up to WalMart and plunging my face into a plate of Oreo’s and rinsing it down with milk… and more Oreo’s, (oh don’t play, I know you do it too and the whole package is gone in one sitting!!!) I decided to look into an alternative to a good, healthy but-feels-like-I-am-cheating kind of cookie. If you haven’t checked out my healthy breakfast cookies that were my husband and I’s bread and butter when we first went gluten free, check it our HERE. They are good, super versatile and delicious… Is just that I wanted something that tasted sinful and too good to be called grain free. Could there be such a thing!? Ok, back to chocolate. And the MONSTER. Yes, the chocolate monster and its decision to rule my life, stomach and well being. I went into the kitchen and jumped on Pinterest needing something that actually TASTED like a real cookie. Going gluten free has had its ups and down’s and anyone who is a baker knows that using almond meal and coconut flour can get a little tricky with texture and flavor I try to stay away from starchy “gluten free flours” because of the high sugar and how it affects my blood sugars. Real-Deal Chocolate Chip Cookiesfrom Danielle ofAgainst All Grain One of the reasons why I like this is because you can just make the dough and freeze it as a gift! You can bake some for your guests or wrap the dough as presents. ADORABLE!
For full recipe, details and substitutions, pop to Danielle’s website by CLICKING HERE!
In a food processor, cream the palm shortening, coconut sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla for about 15 seconds until smooth and fluffy.
Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix again until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed in order to incorporate all of the flour. Pulse once or twice more.
Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
Place golf-ball sized balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Using another sheet of parchment on top of the dough, flatten them slightly with the palm or your hand or a spatula. *The cookies don’t spread much so create the size and thickness you want prior to baking them.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges.
Here’s how mine turned out, and let me tell you they were gone in a FLASH!!! I told you, it was the chocolate monster!! So so so delicious and so easy to make! My husband not only gave his approval, but said they tasted just as good, if not BETTERthan a store-bought batch! I was so blessed and grateful because these don’t elevate or affect my blood sugars the way a normal cookie traditionally would. Thank you Lord for grain free baking! Now on to trying a cake or a brownie or a doughnut… Well, maybe we will leave those tasks for another day!
Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of these amazing cookies! I had so much fun making them and an even better time devouring them 😉 Hope you enjoy!
Happy Monday Morning friends!
Today I wanted to share with you some great juicing superfoods that we integrate into our NutriBullet, helping our body’s feel great! When I started my journey to living a holistic, healthy lifestyle 10 years ago there was tons of information out there to sift through and I often became discouraged, quickly running back old habits. That’s why I want to help you navigate some of the terms and health buzz so that you can figure out what is best for YOUR body. My motto is: eat whole foods. Eat as organic as you can afford. Drink quality filtered water. Take your supplements. Get up and MOVE.
Don’t stress out if it’s not perfect! Seriously. Coming from a VERY black and white, perfectionist personality, I have had to learn this one the hard way. Do the best you can and remember that small changes over time change your lifestyle. Food is our friend, not our enemy. Try and focus on 1-2 things that you can change each month. Once you have that nailed down into a positive habit, add another change. When you fall off of the band wagon, make sure you don’t beat yourself up and put you in a “time out”. You are worth fighting for and you are ABLE to make changes that will better your health, your vitality and your life! You can do this, one step at a time!
Now onto a few of the superfoods that I have come to love!
For those of you who might be a little new to the term, let me help you out a bit. Oxford Dictionary defines is as:“a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.” Sounds easy enough, right!?
When we use the phrase superfoods, we are talking about things like chia seeds, flax seeds, maca powder, cacao nibs and goji berries. There are a myriad of other foods that are considered super, but these are going to be our focus for the next few weeks!
I will break each one down in a detailed form but for right now lets look at the broad stroke of why these are so important to include into your daily routine!
1. Chia Seeds: Helps with boosting energy levels, aids in digestion, stabilizes blood sugars, great source of fiber, rich in Omega 3’s, plant-based protein & cardiovascular health!
2. Flax Seeds: great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, high levels of lignans (which have antioxidant qualities), contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, wonderful way to get vitamin B1 and are an excellent micro-nutrient.
3. Maca Powder: Excellent for chronic fatigue & hormone balance, full of vitamins and minerals including B, C & E, Zinc, calcium, great source of energy, helps aid in anxiety as well as balancing moods.
4. Cacao Nibs: *Important to differentiate between cocoa* Cacao nibs have “been roasted, separated from their husks, and broken into smaller pieces.” Healthier than dark chocolate! Full of antioxidants & is considered a raw food. Extremely versatile!
5. Goji Berries: Rich in antioxidants, excellent source of Vitamin A-helping both vision and boosting the immune system, helps aid in diabetes control and high blood pressure!
So there you have it friends! Try adding in one superfood to your diet this week! Your body will thank you for it. =]
Stay tuned for more healthy recipes, tips and encouragements in the month of January as we all take back our health TOGETHER! Make sure to write down your goals on a sheet of paper and comment below on the ONE you want to focus on THIS week!
I am with you and for you in this journey! Lets LIVE and LIVE to the fullest!
Its true.
I’ve become “that girl”…
You know, the “holistic, all natural, eat as organic and gluten free as you possibly can and tell the whole wide world WHY” kind of girl. That is a HUGE difference from my diet soda addiction, sugar obsession, calorie glutton, processed snack way of life
Yup. That’s me.
Reaching for a NEW kind of normal. In my defense, I have been SICK for over a year now and fed up. Fed up with doctors not knowing how to diagnose me. Tired of the fatigue, mental brain fog, upset stomach and overall malaise. Tired of using pain pills or OTC drugs to numb the ache but never solve the problem. Tired of cancelling plans, calling in sick, and unable to function normally day to day. So I am getting back to basics. Down to the root of health…
I AM SO HAPPY I DID.
I have become ADDICTED to the way juicing has impacted my energy levels, headaches and overall strength and many of YOUasked me what I am doing.
How did I go down an entire dress size, sleep better and lessen my headaches in a matter of just a week?
Well the answer lies in living what God intended for us, naturally. Its about eating what our bodies were created to consume, work on our food addictions and emotional triggers, and ask God daily for strength and help to change for the better. The power of testimony is real, and I am so excited to share with you my top 5 energy boosting, detoxifying juices that have changed my day to day living. Health is about making small changes over time and I want to help and inspire you in any way that I can.
I AM HOOKED!
I got so sick and tired of feeling SO sick and tired, I decided to do what I could on my own to better my overall health. I am only a few weeks in, but have seen such great results I cant go back. When I am passionate about something, I tend to share about it with ENERGY, so I hope my excitement spreads to YOU!
This is my new best friend… The NutriBullet.
Not a traditional juicer and ABSOLUTELY NOT a blender.
This handy dandy little machine is what’s called a JUICE EXTRACTOR.
But Rachael, what the heck is a juice extractor? Looks like a blender to me… I thought the same thing friends, but here is the difference. Unlike your common juicers (which remove the nutrient rich pulp) and basic blenders (which just mush ingredients around) a juice EXTRACTOR actually breaks down your ingredients at their cellular level, creating a juice that is not only nutritious, but it is easily absorbed into your body.
OMG and did I mention its EASY!!?
You just fill the cup with half fresh, raw greens (arugula, Swiss chard, kale, spinach etc) add some nutrient dense berries (or other fruits) toss in some organic, raw almonds, walnuts or pecans, add a couple super-food elements like chia seeds, flax or maca powder, finish it off with a cup or so of filtered spring water, twist on the extractor blade, and BAM, that’s it!. You’ve got yourself a pulverized and incredibly delicious juice (they call it a “nutriblast“… so cute!)
The special blade actually breaks down the tough items, like nuts, root veggies and leaves, and makes it easy to digest for your body.
So easy. So yum!
The reason I started juicing 2x a day was because I consistently felt like garbage. By day 2 and 3 I was feeling better from my body detoxing and by the end of the 1st week I felt better than I had in years! I would eat a light meal in the evenings of fresh veggies and 4-6oz of a clean protein, and it helped SO much!
So where do YOU start!? Here are my BEST energy boosting juices! (Recipes taken from the Nutribullet Natural Healing Foods Book, nutribullet.com)
Toxin Cleansing Blast Flush toxins from your body with this delicious,fruity concoction.
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spinach
• 1 cored pear
• 1 banana
• 1 cored apple
• 1 cup of pineapple
• filtered spring water
The Immune Booster:
Keep healthy even during flu season with this delicious elixir packed with antioxidant goodness.
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spring greens
• 1 banana
• 1 peeled orange
• 1 cup of pineapple
• 1 handful of blueberries
• filtered spring water
Protein Powerhouse
Packed full of protein, this super satisfying blend keeps you energized for hours.
• 2 handfuls spring greens
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 orange
• 1 cup mango
• 1/8 cup cashews
• filtered spring water
Tropical Tonic
Boost your immune system with this vitamin C rich drink.
• 2 handfuls spring greens
• 1 avocado
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 cup mango
• 1 cup papaya
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• filtered spring water
Vita-Berry Blast
Ward off cancer, heart disease, and viruses with this sweet and tasty blast of flavonoids!
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spinach
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1 handful strawberries
• filtered spring water
Hope you try some of these out and start feeling better! I would LOVE to hear what you think! Please comment below any questions you might have, and let me know what is your favorite blast! Remember, you are NOT alone in the journey to healthy living!
I will be praying that you have a happy & healthy holiday season.
Weekends are always hard for me to stay on track and eat healthy. Its like this switch goes off inside of me and the Chocolate monster comes out… and when the chocolate monster is present, anything green and good for you should run for cover. So instead of running up to WalMart and plunging my face into a plate of Oreo’s and rinsing it down with milk… and more Oreo’s, (oh don’t play, I know you do it too and the whole package is gone in one sitting!!!) I decided to look into an alternative to a good, healthy but-feels-like-I-am-cheating kind of cookie. If you haven’t checked out my healthy breakfast cookies that were my husband and I’s bread and butter when we first went gluten free, check it our 
Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of these amazing cookies! I had so much fun making them and an even better time devouring them 😉 Hope you enjoy!
