Wannabe Lean Challenge

I'm so excited to reveal all the details for our Wannabe Lean Challenge this month. This is the perfect time of year to get back on track with healthy eating. The number one New Year's Resolution goal is to lose weight! So come on, let's do this together.  I'm giving away $100 Visa Gift Card to one of you lucky ladies. I want to add more incentive in order to motivate you all to achieve your best results possible. I will randomly select a winner at the end of the month from all who participate. See the Rafflecopter below for the 4 ways to enter. Be sure to use the hashtag #wannabelean when ever you post anything about being healthy, fit, losing weight, ect. I want to check out all your cool inspiring pics and this is the best way for me to see them all. Even better, you can tag me in them!!! Also by using the hashtag you will be able to connect with other women participating in this challenge. We're creating a positive supportive community by liking and commenting on each others pics. We need regular encouragement from one another so this will help us all find and follow one another on the different social media platforms.

Step #1

Take your before pictures!!! You might not be too thrilled about doing this, but trust me, you will be SO happy you did once you have your AFTER pics to compare them too. I did NOT enjoy looking at these pics of my post baby belly, but I knew that my hard work and determination would pay off.
(For information on the 30 Day Nutritional Cleansing program I use, message me for details. You can find all the ways of contacting me in the top right hand corner of my blog.)

Step #2

Make sure you have downloaded the free Periscope app. Create a profile then look me up and follow so that you can catch my regular Periscope videos. I love to share tips and tricks on losing weight and staying fit and healthy. You will also be doing your OWN weekly Periscope videos. I will provide a list of prompts you can choose from if you're not sure what to talk about.

Step #3

Use this daily and weekly checklist.

DAILY:

• Watch the affirmations video. It's important that you listen to, watch, and or read positive affirmations DAILY. We want to instill these beliefs and healthy habits within our brain to power us through each day. The mind is incredibly powerful so lets start at the source of success, our BELIEFS! This affirmations video I created covers everything you should be doing each day, including the practice of good posture, drinking lots of water, avoiding sweets, getting physical exercise, plenty of rest, eating slowly, ect. 

WEEKLY:

• Do your Periscope video. I know you may be a little nervous about the idea of doing your own Periscopes, but lets step out of our comfort zones and try something new. Read my Wannabe Fearless post for information on how to get started on Periscope and a list of prompts you can choose from. If you're in the Wannabe Balanced Facebook group then you can start connecting with this amazing group of women who are so very supportive. Let us all know your Periscope handle so that we can follow you and support you by watching your Periscope videos. Use a prompt I have provided for you, or choose your own. But be sure to always start by introducing yourself briefly, share your health & weight loss goals and progress. The purpose of this is to help hold you accountable and to feel the support from other women doing this Wannabe Lean challenge.
• Meal prep
• Plan your work outs!!!
• Reward yourself! You deserve a little mini gift for a job well done. Go get a pedicure, buy some new workout shoes, outfit, headphones, music, water bottle, ect. The reward could even be something simple like getting a sitter to watch the kids while you take a nice long bath with lavender and candles. How nice does that sound. Give yourself something to look forward to, something HEALTHY though. Try to avoid rewarding yourself with treats.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sprouted Lentil Patties

Talk about pure perfection right here.  As part of my New Years Resolutions I'm trying to encorporate more cultured foods and sprouted seeds, beans and grains into my daily diet.

I'm learning so many wonderful things about cultured foods from this new book I'm reading. I may or may not be going a tad overboard with it. I tend to do that when I get excited about something.

 "Fermentation is an art form and each individual cultured food is, in and of itself, unique. These three foods (kefir, Kombucha and fermented veggies) each provide different good bacteria and yeasts that enhance the trillions of bacteria in the body and allow them to thrive, grow, and multiply. This allows you, the host, the opportunity to heal disease, remove pathogens, enhance digestion, make serotonin, and experience a multitude of other opportunities for healing that otherwise would not have been possible. This is what I call ~ The Trilogy"
-Donna Schwenk

And as far as sprouting goes:

"Sprouting is a process that germinates grains, seeds or legumes which in turn makes them more easily digested and produces additional vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin B and Carotene. Another benefit to sprouting and soaking is the resulting decrease in phytic acid. Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor, which means that it blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals and can also cause poor digestion and an unhealthy gut. This may explain why many people feel bloated, gassy or intolerant of beans and grains.”

-From Gluten-Free Vegetarian

Now for the simple instructions for making this amazing concoction. 

First I started with fermenting my own bell peppers in garlic and in a separate jar I did red cabbage. Also made my own Kefir. If you're new to cultured foods I would recommend starting with Kefir. It's the easiest one to make and only takes a day. All you need is milk, a glass container and some Kefir grains. You can get them HERE on Amazon. You can learn how to make all kinds of fun cultured foods from THIS book.

Then I soaked the lentils in water for a day. Rinsed them well and set out on the counter for another day (cover with a paper towel or cheese cloth to keep dirt and bugs out). 

Once the lentils begin to sprout that means they are ready. Simply blend about two and a half cups of the lentils with about 1/4 cup tomato sauce (I hate measuring, I usually just eye ball it), garlic powder, salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice and one teaspoon of gluten free flour (I used brown rice four). 

Heat some coconut oil in a skillet, then spoon the mixer into the pan (use the spoon to flatten and shape into patties). Cook until golden brown and flip. 

KEFIR CHEESE TOPPING:

Make kefir cheese by placing a colander in a bowl. Place a coffee filter in the colander, then pour the kefir into the filter and let sit in the fridge for a few hours but for best results let sit overnight. This process will remove the liquid whey from the kefir creating a nice thick sour cream like consistency.

The Kefir whey is actually what you use to start your veggie fermentation. So save the whey in the fridge for when you're ready to begin your cultured vegetable journey.

Then once you have your kefir cheese just add a little fresh dill, garlic powder and salt. AMAZING I TELL YA!!!!

My Daily Diet

I get lots of requests to share what my daily diet looks like so I'm about to explain it all. If you're looking to lose weight or simply maintain, this is the post for you.

First of all I highly recommend doing a CLEANSE about every 3 to six months. 

Why? Because you come in contact with toxins EVERY day. It's like changing the oil in your car. In order to keep your body running smoothly it must be cleansed periodically. PLUS, a healthy body craves healthy food. So if you're struggling with unhealthy food cravings, then give cleansing a try and you'll discover how much easier it will be to say no to your Diet Coke and cookies. 

Then most importantly, you MUST consume the proper balance of nutrition. Now I know life is busy and its next to impossible to create all your meals from scratch. That's why I drink at least one meal replacement shake a day. I like to drink THIS one because it comes from grass-fed cows in New Zealand. Their whey is also undenatured, which essentially means it isn't overheated and the nutrients and enzymes aren't depleted from it. 

HERE is my Amazon list of health food items I purchase regularly. 

Watch my video for a complete run down of what I eat every day and how I prep for the week. If you fail to prepare then prepare to fail. That's all there is to it. 

Two Day Clear Skin Plan

Breaking out? Don't know why or what to do about it? I hear ya. The STRUGGLE IS REAL!!!

I've been trying to break up with breakouts for 20 years now. I thought I would grow out of it once I left my teenage years. Nope! Here I am, 34 years old and still experiencing breakouts. Although I have yet to find a cure, I HAVE learned a few things over the years. I've learned what causes my breakouts and how to battle it naturally WITHOUT medication and harsh chemicals. 

Unfortunately the breakouts come every month like clock work. Those dang hormones. Soooo not only do I get hormonal acne, but dear aunt flow always triggers my sweet overindulging on foods I KNOW irritate my skin. Talk about double edge sword. So not fair!!!!

Once I get past the hormonal cravings and emotional roller coaster, which contributes to STRESS breakouts.  Then I'm left with some tokens of remembrance from sweet Aunt flow.

When this happens I quickly fall back on my "two days to clear skin" game plan.

Click HERE to find my Amazon list of natural products I generally use.

 

It's important that you BELIEVE that your skin will clear up. Your mind is a very powerful tool. Use it!!!

My Clear Skin Affirmation 

I'm going to clear up my skin in 2 days with this game plan.

• Drink lots of lemon water
• Drink Cleanse Juice 2 oz. twice daily
• Drink Chlorofresh in water
• No caffeine, no sugar, no dairy, and no wheat!
• Eat lots of greens!!!
• Lots of Cucumbers and celery
• Use as many natural products as possible, even your deodorant.
• Only mineral make-up
• Witch Hazel, coconut oil, and Kombucha
• Oil pulling
• Baking soda and lemon juice mask

I believe I have the power and control over the health of my skin. I will follow through with this program and my skin will be radiant and clear in no time. I'm healthy, happy, and in control of my actions. I'm beautiful and will have clear skin in 2 days!!!!

My Favorite Amazon Products

I'm sure many of you are like me and are frequent Amazon shoppers. Seriously these peeps are brilliant!!!! To shop from your phone, with free shipping AND have it arrive in two days in a box with a great big smile on it! YES PLEASE!!!!

Well since you can pretty much find ANYTHING on Amazon I thought I'd share a list of my recent and regularly purchased items. Click HERE to see it all.