Clean Eating Cookies!

Soooo...

Sometimes my concoctions totally fail and sometimes they rock. #justsayin 

I'm really bad at measuring and following a recipe, I tend to raid the cupboards and dump and stir. And tonight it was a WIN! 

After going gluten, sugar and dairy free my cravings have been out of control!!! 

So tonight in my attempt to stay on the bull, I came up with these. And the amounts are a guess FYI

😉

1/4 c melted coconut oil

1/2 c applesauce 

1/3 c pure maple syrup

3/4 c almond milk 

3/4 c coconut flour 

1/2 c almond flour

1/4 unsweetened coconut 

1 scoop vegan chocolate Shakeology 

1 mashed banana 

1 tbsp cinnamon 

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp ground flax seed 

Mash and Mix until thick and moist. If you need to add a little more liquid, do so. Scoop with small ice cream scoop and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Voila! 

Challenger Success!!

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! This totally made my day!! Just 21 days of commitment and hard work!! This busy mama inspires me daily and not only achieved her own success in less than a month, but also has her MIL doing this with her and she also lost 11.25 inches and 5 lbs.

She is a Busy Mom of 3 little boys, the youngest who also has Spina Bifida like my little one. But she found, what I did - that when you make that time for YOU each day, you're better able to take care of those around you. You have more PATIENCE, ENERGY, you feel EMPOWERED to tackle whatever is ahead of you that day. You don't always feel like doing it...but you're always grateful when it's over.

I absolutely LOVE receiving texts like this and seeing the lifestyle change happening.. They feel better inside and out and just adds fuel to the fire of this passion I have for this JOB. And for the mission we're on to End the Trend of Obesity! 

Next groups starts May 25th! If you want to save a spot let me know!! 🎉💥✨💫Add me on Facebook at Facebook.com/mindyjrose or email to learn more! 

Kids, Homework and Clean Eating

My thyroid got the best of me today and I forced myself to STAY DOWN. I was so tired of laying down all day though, although I definitely benefited from the rest.. So when Addy got home from school, I made them Strawberry Shakeology with spinach and fruit in it, and spinach cakes for an after school snack. #MomWin! 

They were in heaven!! 

And then we turned on our favorite educational playlist on YouTube and did some homework. Mason and McKinley got to trace letters and numbers and Addy did her 1st grade notebook from school. This doesn't happen very often, so I soaked in the 20-30 minutes that they ALL STAYED FOCUSED! 4 kids under 6 can be so chaotic sometimes!

That was my success for the day 😉.

Always recognize your successes!!! As Moms we easily find all the things we didn't do - instead focus on all the things you DID DO! <3 

Chicken Salad....MMMMMMM

Something I NEVER get sick of is chicken salad filling to have on hand. You can make lettuce wraps, tortilla wraps, sandwiches, put it on salad, use crackers to dip in it, or just eat plain!! It's also so easy to change it up and make it different. I love to add water chestnuts, apples, crumbled bacon, boiled eggs all diced up..you can use Greek yogurt, and mashed avocado for the sauce...WHATEVER you want!! :) But here's a really basic recipe to use and then change up as you want: 

Classic Chicken Salad Wraps

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)

1 cup halved red grapes

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

1/2 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's) 

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 a lemon

4 tortillas

Place the chicken, celery, grapes, green onion, and pecans in a large bowl and stir to combine. In another bowl combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with the dill, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir until coated. Give yourself a little taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice as you please. You can also add another 1/4 cup of mayonnaise if you like your chicken salad to be thinner. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours or up to overnight to allow the flavors to combine, and serve wrapped inside tortillas. 

Chris's Transformation Story

Hi I’m Chris. I’m 31 years old. I’m the lucky guy who gets to be married to Mindy Rose. She really is as incredible as she seems. Marrying her 5 ½ years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. We have both been so blessed since makin...g that decision. I love being married. I also love being a father. Giving my wife and children a good life is of the utmost importance to me.

I have had a great life. I was born into a great family. I couldn’t have asked for better parents and siblings. I loved watching them play sports. I loved to play sports with them in the yard and when I was old enough, I became involved in sports competitively. On the outside, I probably seemed like a happy kid with no worries. Unfortunately on the inside, I was struggling. When I was 12, I was diagnosed with O.C.D and depression. This was very hard for me to understand at that age. I thought everyone felt that way and had those thoughts. As a kid you don’t discuss these kinds of things with your friends. My best friend knew and he was a huge support. My family knew of course but for the most part I felt like I was an actor in a play called life. I used fun, humor, and sports as a distraction from my issues. As long as I had something to look forward to, I could get through another day, another week, etc. Because of these issues, I was released from my mission after serving only 4 months. On my mission, I would pray that the Lord would take these struggles away from me since I was serving Him full time. I have learned since then that miracles happen according to His will and His time table. Life is filled with trials. This life isn’t just a test but also a learning experience. I’m so glad that the light finally switched on in my head that I can’t always just pray my way out of situations without getting up off of my knees and acting. I can’t sit there and say, “Here I am Lord, fix me please. I’m broken. It’s when I decide to do everything that I can to improve my situation that he makes more out of me than I could have ever imagined. It’s in the doing that we find the inner strength that He gives to us.

After many years of searching for answers to my challenges, six months ago my wife and I found Beachbody. Now because of Shakeology, Insanity and challenge groups, I am in a much better place. I have been able to overcome plateaus physically and mentally that I never could before. I feel happy, positive and confident. I’ve never felt so healthy and energetic. And by Christmas 2012, I had weened myself off of the anti-depressant I had taken for over 10 years. I went from 205 lbs to 180 lbs and I am in the best shape of my life. It started with a paradigm shift and a decision to change. I am done with being a victim. I will be a victor. Trials can define us or refine us. We can use our struggles as an excuse or a reason. Who knows where I would be if courageous people like Brigitte Linford wouldn’t have shared their story and prompted me to improve my situation. Mindy and I have been so blessed by this and now we want to pay it forward. I hope you enjoy our page.

Mindy's Transformation Journey

Hi!! I'm Mindy! I'm 27 and I'm the lucky Mom of 3 beautiful, sassy, and sweet kids ages 4.5, 2.5, and 19 months. They keep my busy and humbled each day. Chris and I have been married for 5.5 years, and I truly believe in the saying, that I am the luckiest girl alive. He's my better half, and I'm grateful for his support in all I do, his undying belief in me, for the way he makes me laugh, and lets me cry.

I grew up as a little girl, hating my body. I don't use that word lightly, because I honestly can't remember a time where I was ever happy with what I saw in the mirror. I would wear baggy clothes, and do anything to hide in the background. I fell into a depression in Junior High and High School, and started my addiction with Bulimia when I was 15. I will fight until my dying day to combat this horrible addiction and disease, and somehow reach people and help them change their mentality and view of themselves. We have been blessed with amazing bodies, and I spent too many years destroying mine. I struggled with this for 12 years..up until about a year ago. I stopped while I was pregnant but would get sucked right back in after each birth. I hated food..I wished there was a way to live without it, so that I wouldn't be fat. Over the course of having kids, my weight was all over the place. I decided after my 3rd, that I had an example to set, and a life to live. I wanted to do more than just make it through each day. I wanted energy, passion and hope. I wanted to feel good and be happy. I wanted my kids to remember in a different way.

So I studied what clean eating was about. We started running together..and slowly I found that when you eat the right whole foods..that you can eat a whole plate full and still lose weight! It was a miracle! We cut out sugars, artificial foods, packaged foods, chips, ice cream etc. What we noticed on this journey was that our our energy was increasing, and we were starting to feel good..better than we ever have! But we plateaued, and at that time we found Beachbody and Shakeology. This was the missing piece of the puzzle. Since starting Insanity, Shakeology and other workout programs in addition to eating clean - we have reached a fitness level we never thought possible. We've overcome the daily depression/darkness with the help of all the superfoods in Shakeology, whole foods and exercise. We no longer need naps, I can think clearer and my emotions aren't all over the place. It's been heaven sent for us and we want to share all the wonderful things we've learned along the way.

Clean Eating 101 and Money Saving Tips

I first learned about clean eating from some pins on Pinterest from HeandSheeatclean. Then we watched the documentary "FOODMATTERS" on Netflix. From there, I read Bob Harper's book The Skinny Rules and was hooked. Clean eating isn’t a fad diet. It’s a permanent, healthy way of eating that, with a little practice, can (and should) become a way of life. Clean eating is eating for the sake of nourishing your body with food as close to it’s natural state as possible. There is no math, no point systems, no insane calorie restrictions. When you begin to replace the processed, fried and unhealthy foods from your diet with whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean protein, your body will respond in amazing ways.

1. Your muscles will respond to the added lean protein by growing which will speed up your metabolism.
2. Your body will respond to the whole grains by regulating itself.
3. Your body will also rid itself of water weight caused by excess sodium that is PACKED in processed food.
4. If you struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental struggles - cutting out all the dyes, sugars and artificial ingredients will help A LOT! Out lives are drastically different now. We don't do it to be weird and  strict. We do it because of how we feel! And we want our children to grow up feeling that way. 

To make getting started on a clean eating path as simple as possible, I learned this acronym;

• C- COUNT your meals. You should aim to eat 5-6 times a day (3 meals and 2-3 small snacks). Shoot for every couple of hours. This will keep your metabolism burning all day long!
• L- LEAN protein! Each meal should contain about a palm-sized serving of lean protein (white-meat chicken/turkey, fish, black beans, egg whites, etc.) Find your favorites and keep them on hand.
• E- EAT your fruits and veggies! They’re delicious, filling and packed with what our bodies need.
• A- AVOID processed and refined foods. White flour, sugar, bread and pastas are no-nos. Replace them with complex carbs such as brown rice and whole-wheat . Also, read ingredient lists. A long list means ‘not clean’. If it has sugar in the first 5 ingredients, keep walking! 
• N- NEVER eat mindlessly. Too often, we tend to grab a food and toss it back with out even a thought. The next time you go to eat something, ask yourself, “Will this do anything positive for my body?” and “Will I regret this choice later?”.

I know that people tend to think that Eating Clean will be super expensive! I can assure you it doesn't have to be and there are plenty of people struggling financially that make health a priority. You don't have to be RICH to eat healthy. It just takes a little extra planning and perhaps some saving.. but making it a priority in your budget will help. If your health isn’t a priority in your life.. it should be! You DESERVE to be healthy! =) Here's some tips for saving money:

• Stop eating out! Start making all of your own food at home and you will save considerably!
• Make a budget!! If you go through your finances and divide up your needs, you will know how much you have for groceries and you can stick to it!
• Make a menu each week and a grocery list and stick to it! Don’t buy things you don’t really need.
• Do NOT go to the market hungry.. you will wind up buying things on impulse, not because you truly need them!
• Some products are smart to buy in bulk at places like Costco or Sam’s Club, because they can be frozen or stored for long periods of time and will not perish. They may also be cheaper at these stores.
• If you think you won’t be able to get through all of something like fruit, veggies or lean meats, buy them frozen.. (or if the meat is not previously frozen, you can freeze the fresh stuff and it will keep for quite some time).
• Always purchase produce in season. When you start buying off-season produce, the price is MUCH higher.
• Buy generic, not name brands. You might have to double check the labels though to be sure they are of the same quality.
• Clip coupons and take advantage of sales. If something you eat frequently is on sale, buy more of it. Although the time it takes to clip the coupons and the immediate cost will be higher, in the long run you will save more! Price Matching is also a big help!
• Sales go for supplements as well. Sites like Bodybuilding.com offer discounts on supplements regularly.
• Sign up for newsletters about sales and deals at the stores you frequently shop at (including online and supplement stores)
  
  
  
   Remember: “What you feed your body can either be the BEST medicine or the SLOWEST form of POISON”