Taking On A Cleanse!

I have decided to try the Arbonne Essentials 7-Day Body Cleanse.  My friend is an Arbonne consultant and has done the cleanse in the past.  I received the cleanse today which consists of a concentrate that is to be mixed with 32 ounces of water and consumed throughout the day.  I am hoping that it will help me to become more healthy and assist with my weight loss efforts.

 I was a little disappointed in the information that comes along with it. The packaging basically says how to consume the cleanse and that it helps cleanse and detoxify the system and support the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and assists with the gentle elimination of toxins.  It also recommends that you keep a diet high in fruits and vegetables while on the cleanse as well as drink eight glasses of water a day.  Alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, fried meals, and sugary treats are not recommended during the detox. I did hope that there would be a little more information about what the cleanse actually did and how it effected the body.

I did a quick search online and found some others who have taken the cleanse. At first I was a little scared by what I had found. Bloggers had recounted that it didn't taste very well and that they regretted starting the cleanse when they did because of the need to be near a bathroom. I started re thinking if I should do the cleanse since I work hectic days with no time to be dependent on a bathroom.

After talking to my friend who had previously done the cleanse I was re energized to take it on. I have another friend who does the cleanse a few times a year and has no issue with it. I figure that everybody has different experiences and I have to take into consideration that it is a cleanse and certain things come along with that. I have decided to start the cleanse on Monday when I don't have to work and have a few days where I am not running around. Just in case I feel the need to stay close to home and close to a particular room :)

I have been very eagerly awaiting this cleanse and hoping to get positive effects from it. I have never done a cleanse before, unless you count the 6 hours my co workers and I did the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup cleanse a few years ago. What also made me want to try this cleanse is that you are not starving yourself and sustaining on liquid for a week. The cleanse is taken along with your regular meals. Its like a little extra boost. Another tip I learned was not to down the liquid down every morning, but instead to drink it throughout your day. They also advise that you exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day. The manufacturer recommends 30 minutes daily of cardio activity such as running, cycling, swimming, tennis, or brisk walking.
The purpose is to purify the body of toxins, though weight loss is a common side effect. Websites say that if you complete the 7-Day Detox while maintaining a good diet and exercising regularly, you can realistically expect to lose five to six pounds.

I start tomorrow.. Stay tuned..

Ingredients in the Arbonne 7-Day Body Cleanse include:
     Astragalus root extract improves immune function
     Astragalus Fucoidan extract improves immune function
     Milk thistle protects liver from toxins
     Aloe vera relieves digestive issues
     Nettle leaf detoxification of chemicals
     Cascara sagrada natural laxative
     Buckthorn colon cleanser
     Slipperly elm bark relieves inflammatory bowel conditions
     Meadowsweet natural antacid
     Agave natural sweetener
     Inulin promotes colon health
     Chlorella broken cell removes toxins
     Blue green algae antioxidants
     Spirulina whole cell algae vitamins, minerals, amino acids
     Nori-sea weed vitamins
     Red marine algae boosts immune system
     Senna leaf extract natural laxative
     Cascara sagrada bark natural laxative
     Rhubarb natural laxative
     Psyllium natural laxative

Is This Why French Women Are So Fit?

Warrior Dash!!

In June My friends and I will be participating in the Warrior Dash! It is the worlds largest running series. It is basically a 5k combined with an obstacle course that includes things like mud, rope courses, fire and more!! It's an incredible fitness challenge but also a benefit to raise money for St. Jude Research Hospital!

 As I conquer obstacles, leap over fire, and crawl through the mud, kids at St. Jude Hospital are fighting for their lives. They are one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases. They never deny any child care and it costs $1.7 million a day to operate St. Jude. By supporting me and donating you will inspire hope in the children who need it the most and their families.

PLEASE HELP BY MAKING A DONATION!!

It's simple and easy, just click on the link below. Every $1 counts and no donation is too small!! Thanks so much!

Click To Donate

You can check out more about the Warrior Dash here

or go to www.Warriordash.com to get involved too!
This is done all over the country all year round!

Music Monday! We Are Young!

I am really loving this song right now! I love the beat, the lyrics and the idea it portrays.
I'm not too crazy about the video but it seems to be about a couple that is in a rough spot in their relationship. While they are currently working on fixing the relationship they still hurt each other a little, but ultimately realize they will always be there for each other.

Meatballs!

Today's recipe is for delicious yet healthy meatballs that you will swear your grandmother made.  Actually this recipe is derived from one of my grandmother's recipes that I just adjusted a bit.  It's simple and easy to make and does not require a lot of time.

What You Need:
Large pot
Frying Pan
Mini food processor/blender or chopper


Ingredients:
2lbs 93% lean ground beef
2 pieces of bread (I used weight watchers)
1-2tsp Olive Oil
2Tbsp grated Romano cheese
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic (minced, grated, or pressed)
1tsp Parsley
1Tbsp Oregano
1Tbsp Basil
1tsp Salt
1/2tsp Black Pepper
1tsp Garlic powder
1/2tsp Thyme
Tomato Sauce (homemade or canned)

• First you want to put your pot with tomato sauce on medium heat.  You need enough sauce to fully cover your meatballs while they cook (aprox 15).  I usually have my large pot, pictured above, filled 1/3 to 1/2 way up.

• Next, we want to make our own homemade healthier breadcrumbs.  In your chopper or blender add ripped up pieces of the bread, 1Tbsp of Romano cheese, Basil, Parsley, Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, Thyme and any other spices you wish.  I also add two spice blends from Penzeys Spices (for my tastes)  called "Mural of Flavor" and "Herbs de Provence" they are basically just Italian spice blends.  Lightly pulse and blend the bread and spices together. 

What you end up with should look like this..

• Next, in a large bowl add your beef, Egg, 1Tbsp Romano cheese, bread crumbs and garlic. Now here is where we go old school, with freshly washed hands you want to mix all your ingredients together with you hands. Smush, mush, squeeze and mash it all together until it looks evenly mixed together.

• In a frying pan over medium heat and 1tsp of Olive Oil

• Grab a fist size worth of meat and using your hands form into a ball

 

• Using your other hand slightly press the meat down so that the top and bottom are more flat

• Add your meat balls to the hot frying pan

• You want to lightly brown them on both sides

•  Once browned remove the meatballs from the frying pan and place in the tomato sauce.

• Repeat this process until you have used up all the meat.  You should be able to make 15 meatballs.  If needed you can add another tsp of Olive Oil to the pan.
• Lightly stir the meatballs to ensure all are covered with sauce.  You want the sauce to be hot but not boiling. Cover and let simmer for at least a half hour.
• Then Enjoy!

You can enjoy these meatballs alone as a yummy snack or on top of your favorite pasta dish.  I love these meatballs on top of a bowl of whole wheat pasta and sprinkled with some Romano Cheese.

This recipe yields 15 servings and is 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving

Music Monday! Stronger!

I love this song! Kelly Clarkson shows young girls and women everywhere the meaning of empowerment and inner strength. This song and this video sends the message that there is life after a failed relationship.  It's all about finding the strength and courage to go it alone!

Another great thing about this video is that they used footage submitted by her fans! Kelly encouraged fans to be a part of her new video.  She posted an instructional dance video with the choreography and had fans send in their home videos to be used in this music video.

What do you think? 

Interesting!

We know to avoid processed foods because they are not healthy and cause us to gain weight, but now new video shows that we can't even digest them properly.



What do you think?

Banana Bread!

If you are like me, some of your bananas seem to go bad before you can eat them all. I love keeping bananas in the house for a healthy mid morning snack but I don't like them once they start getting all brown.  A great way to avoid throwing out old bananas is to turn them into Banana Bread!  I have created a Low Fat, sugar free banana bread that is delicious and healthy!

 

What you need:

• A Large Bowl
• A Loaf Pan
• Wooden Spoon
• Cooking Spray
• Potato Masher & Hand Mixer (optional)

Ingredients:

• 3 Bananas
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 & 2/3 Cups of Flour
• 1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil (any oil or butter product will work)
• 2/3 Cup of Truvia (or sweetener of your choice)
•  1tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 4Tbsp Chocolate Chips (optional)

Pre-heat your over to 350

In a large bowl mash up your Bananas.  Mix in your eggs, water, brummel & brown and splenda.  You want a cake batter like consistency.

Then mix in  your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  If you are like me and have a sweet tooth you can add in 4tbsp of chocolate chips.  This also makes the banana bread a sweet chocolaty treat.

Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray.  I like to use PAM.  You want to fully coat the inside of the pan so that your bread will fall out easily.  Then pour your batter into you loaf pan.

 

Place your pan in your pre-heated oven for about an hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown. (TIP:  You can tell if your bread is fully cooked by inserting a knife into the center.  If your knife comes out clean your bread is done)

 

Once your bread has cooled you can turn your pan upside down and the bread should easily fall out.  Place on a plate, slice it up and indulge...

Enjoy!!

This banana bread yields 11 servings and is only 4 Weight Watcher Points Plus!

5 Points Plus if you add the Chocolate Chips!

 (If you don't want to make the recipe sugar free you can use the same amount of sugar instead of splenda)

Music Monday! Dream Big!

This is an amazing song that always puts me in a good mood. It has a great message and even if its not the kind of music you usually listen to, I'm sure you will love it if not just for the great message it holds. It never ceases to inspire me when it comes up on my play list!

Reward!

So today I treated myself!  After a long day of filming in NYC I had some time to kill before meeting up with my friend and decided to treat myself to a pedicure.  After a long year with a lot of death and relationship drama I back tracked on my weight loss efforts a bit.  I gained back a few of the pounds I have lost and I am determined to re loose them again as well as more.  As a reward for hitting the 5lb mark this week (I'm actually at 6.6 but whose counting) I decided to treat myself to a relaxing pedicure.  It was wonderful and exactly what I needed today.  I am even more excited for my 10lb reward a massage!! :)