Category Archives for "Healthy Habits"

Planning meals ahead of time will save you time and money. It will ease your stress levels each day as your dinner plans are already made. It will also help you to eat healthier. Below are some advantages of planning each meal.

• Your kitchen cupboards and refrigerator will be stocked with healthy food.
• The stress level in your life will be less as you don’t have to do ‘The 5 Minutes until Dinner – Now What?’ Dance.
• You’ll save time and money because you will make fewer trips to the grocery store
• Your family’s stress level will go down as they don’t get caught up in the nightly family strife over eating the same ole thing
• Since each dinner is planned you will not indulged in so many fast food, high calorie meals because you won’t have to go through the hassle of ‘what do I fix tonight?’
• Did I mention the stress level will go down in your life and in those around you? As your kids get shuffled off to practice they are actually going to miss not being around you
• You will find that you have increased the variety of foods you eat each week creating a well balanced diet.
• Dinner time will become a relaxed enjoyable time for the family to spend together.

There’s no doubt that planning your meals is not only crucial to achieving your best body, but also extremely challenging! Today’s hectic lifestyles make “grab and go” a lot more likely than “sit and relax”.

Who’s got the time to make it all happen?

You can achieve your best health and enjoy great food- the key lies in your ability to plan.

Planning your first week of meals is easier than you think.

• Write down your family’s favorite meals. To help you out, list the dinner meals you ate last week. You might need to ask your kids for help. Shoot to write down five to seven meals.
• Tweak these meals if they need to be healthier versions. You’re looking to fill your plate with lots of Protein, Produce and Water.
• List out 2 or 3 PPW (Protein Produce and Water) breakfast meals you enjoy eating.
• Alternate these meals on your menu plan the first week. Remember breakfast doesn’t have to be traditional. Eating leftovers at breakfast makes things quick to reheat.
• Lunch is next. Do you have time to make a meal each day for lunch or is leftovers a better choice. Remember “Simple is easiest, Simple is best”
• If you choose to make your meals, prep as much as you can the night before.
• Lunch can be easy. Baked chicken from the night before takes on a whole new appearance on top of a salad. Don’t have leftover chicken? Open a can/bag of tuna to place on top of the salad. Another option is to grab a few hard boiled eggs and make egg salad using an avocado as the mayonnaise. Add in a variety of raw veggies and your lunch is complete.

Knowing is only half the battle. Even if you know what’s good and expect to eat supportively, if the foods aren’t around when it’s time to eat, it’s hard to succeed.

Planning is half of the battle. Speaking of planning, make a grocery list. Using your meal plan as a guide to what you need to pick up list out the foods to buy.

You can make this happen! It takes a little planning and dedication once a week to get your plan on track.

To Your best health,

Coach Nancy

Georgie Fear allowed me to use her Meal Plan flowchart. Sums up when we eat, now make a plan for what to eat. 

I am so excited about this recipe. Pea shoots raw in a salad are fantastic. Lightly sautéing them is kicking it up a notch. WOW- Fabulous. You have got to try this. Your taste buds will thank you. 

Wilted Pea Shoots, Caramelized Garlic, and Shrimp

• 1 box Papa Dean's Microgreen Pea Shoots
• Kosher salt
• ½ pound shrimp
• Lemon zest (optional)
• Peeled garlic cloves
• Olive oil

Place as many peeled pieces of garlic as you wish in a saucepan. Cover with olive oil. (I sliced the garlic thin so I didn’t have to use as much oil.)

Simmer on low heat until the garlic is a deep brown. Turn off heat. This is a 20 minute process but can be done on food prep day.

When the oil has cooled, separate garlic cloves and oil with a sieve, reserving both oil and garlic in separate containers.

Place a tablespoons of garlic oil in a hot pan over medium heat.

Add a box of Papa Dean’s Microgreen Pea Shoots to the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir just until wilted.

Toss in a handful of caramelized garlic cloves.

Serve as a side dish.

For the Shrimp:

Heat a skillet over a medium-high flame. Add olive oil  and shrimp make sure there is space between each shrimp.

When shrimp are light pink on one side, quickly turn over. Turn off heat. They’ll finish cooking while you get your plates ready.

Place shrimp on top of pea shoots and garlic. Zest a little lemon on top of scallops. Serve.

Coach Dean made a cauliflower rice recipe to go alongside this recipe. I'll have to pin him down so I can get that recipe to you as well.

Enjoy good food,

Coach Nancy

Starting your day off right nutritionally begins that daily cycle of eating healthy. Often I hear; " If I eat healthy at the beginning of the day it helps me to make better choices the rest of the day. BUT I have so hard a time Making It Happen." You'll find 14 different ways to make the best start to your day so you've can set yourself up for better choices as the day goes on. 

12 Ways to Make It Happen at Breakfast

1. Cook eggs the night before. This is what Dean did for years for his breakfast each day. I cooked his eggs the night before, added in mixed veggies, a small container of salsa and black beans.
2. Laurie’s keep it simple Breakfast

                         Laurie’s keep it simple Breakfast:

                         3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

                         ½ avocado, cut into chunks

                         2 Tablespoons of salsa

                         Mix all in a bowl to combine. It’s that simple.

               3. Grab and Go Breakfast- Hard boiled eggs served with cut veggies

4. Deli meat with salad– who says you can’t have it at breakfast?

5. Mini quiches from the freezer

                        Mini Quiche

                        2 cups Spinach

                        ¼ cup Red pepper, chopped

                       ¼ cup Onion, chopped

                       6 Egg whites

                       2 whole eggs

                      ¼ cup swiss cheese

                      3 cloves garlic, chopped

                       5 oz ham

                       ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

                       Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add all the ingredients to a blender, blend on low. Lightly                              coat a muffin tray with peanut or coconut oil. Fill each cup ½ way, bake for 20 minutes.                               Remove from the pan and cool. Serve with salsa. 

                                                          Recipe from Gourmet Nutrition by John Beradi.

6. Breakfast burritos

                          Breakfast Burritos

                          3 egg whites and 1 whole egg

                          1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

                          1/4 cup onion, green pepper, and mushroom, chopped

                          Salsa to taste

                          1 whole wheat or lo-carb tortilla

                          Coat frying pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray - medium heat. Scramble the egg                                 whites and whole egg, then mix in the onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and cheese.                                  Cook until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Spoon mix onto a whole wheat tortilla, add                           salsa, wrap it up, and enjoy!

7. Protein Icing- You’ll never be bored with breakfast after this one

8. The Breakfast Stack – slice of ham, slice of cheese, with a poached egg on top

9. Eggs in a Mug

                          Eggs in a Mug

                          2 whole eggs or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters Original)

                          One wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, cut into pieces

                          Spray a large microwave-safe mug lightly with nonstick spray. Stir egg and cheese well.                             Microwave for about a minute. Stir gently, and then microwave for another 30 - 45                                       seconds, until scramble is just set. You can also add a teaspoon of salsa and one                                       tablespoon of black beans for a Mexican mug. Or even 2 ounces of cut ham, or what                                  about a ¼ cup of chopped asparagus and red pepper? And then there is an ounce of                                  salmon and three cherry tomatoes. Oh the combinations you can come up with.

10. Frittatas

                          Colorful Frittata

                           1 cup broccoli florets

                           3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

                           2 green onions, finely chopped

                           1 teaspoon coconut oil

                           1 cup cubed fully cooked ham

                           8 eggs

                           1/4 cup water

                           1/4 cup Dijon mustard

                           1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

                           1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

                           1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

                            In a large skillet, saute the broccoli, mushrooms and onions in coconut oil until tender.                                 Add ham; heat through. Remove from the heat and keep warm. In a mixing bowl, beat                                the eggs, water, mustard, Italian seasoning and garlic salt until foamy. Stir in the                                          tomatoes and broccoli mixture. Pour into a greased shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake                               at 375 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out                                     clean.

11. Crustless Sunday Quiche

                          Crustless Quiche

                         5 eggs

                          1 cup milk or half and half

                          1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, American, Colby, jack what ever you have on hand)

                          1/2 cup spinach or broccoli

                          1/4 cup chopped onion

                         1/4 cup chopped red pepper

                         1 Tablespoon corn meal

                          Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 Mix all ingredients except corm meal in medium bowl.
In a                              non-stick skillet that will take the temperature in the oven, spray with cooking spray and                              coat with corn meal. (I use a 8 inch commercial skillet). Pour egg mixture in skillet and                                 bake for 45 minutes or until top of quiche is golden brown.

                           The veggies in this quiche are so variable. You can use tomato with spinach or broccoli                               and tomato or just the onion, and peppers. Toss in a few mushrooms or sliced zucchini.                               You want to have about a cup of veggies in any combination. Experiment away!

                           Makes 4 servings. 
Easily doubles for larger skillets.

12. Super shakes

One more bonus breakfast idea, Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast. 

Enjoy Good Food,

Coach Nancy

Did you ever wish there was a “magic pill” that could help you get the body of your dreams? To take out the wiggle and jiggle, and replace it with lean and tight?

If that “magic pill” existed, it would come in the form of a food journal. Research shows there is no better predictor of weight loss and maintenance of that loss than keeping a record of what you eat – really cool!

But also a little scary, right? I mean we don’t really expect you to write everything down, do you? 

Let’s start here: There is no morality to fat loss. I like what fellow nutrition coach Josh Hillis had to say “…nothing you eat is bad or wrong. Nothing you eat is good or right. You are not a bad person if you eat junk food. You aren’t a good person if you eat organic veggies with grass fed beef” – Josh Hillis Fat Loss Starts on Monday

Some food choices will get you closer to your goals, and some won’t. I’ll make you a deal; I won’t judge you for what you write down in here if you don’t. Because if you are like me, you are your own worst critic. 

So instead of judging, beating yourself up, and just plain feeling crummy (negative emotions) let’s do the helpful thing, which looks like this.

• Evaluate my food journal
• See where I can improve
• Plan a strategy for what you can do differently
• Go to the store, buy good food, bring it home, cook it (positive actions)

Easy? I am afraid not. Eating healthy is a skill, and just like any other skill, it takes practice and persistence to get good. 

And that’s what this food journal is all about. Developing the eating skills of a lean person so we can be lean too. 

So embrace the journey, be consistent with your journal, and practice doing what it takes to Get Lean. Lose Fat. Look and Feel Great.

Make It Happen!

Coach Nancy

Shopping List Week of: ____________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes for next week: ________________________________________________

Want a printable version? Click here.

I am so glad Dean is a helpful type of guy. Yesterday he helped a friend move a bedroom set and in return they gave him some hand picked blueberries from their freezer. YUM. So today at breakfast I remembered this fabulous recipe that Coach Dean came up with years ago. Frosting for breakfast. You've got to try this. 

Frosting for Breakfast

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 scoops Beverly International Angel Food Cake protein or Vanilla Protein
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip this in your blender for true frosting consistency. I mixed it by hand which tastes the same but is a denser version. 

Since I mixed this by hand it was perfect for the top of my oatmeal. It melted down into the oatmeal as I ate. Fantastic. 

We've whipped this with a mixer and then used the frosting as a dip for strawberries or any other fruit. Also truly delicious. 

Give it a whirl. 

Thank you Coach Dean for helping others, and also having a creative mind to create this recipe for your family and others to enjoy.

Eat Good Food,

Coach Nancy

I was in the mood the other day to make some snacks for my kids. Since they are teenagers, I tend to make them fend for themselves. Today was different. I also wanted to give this recipe a try and they were my guinea pigs. 

Here's the recipe I used. I also included some changes or alterations I might make to this recipe next time to change it up a bit. 

Pumpkin No Bake Energy Balls

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 scoop UMP vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all of this with a spoon in a bowl. It'll be sticky but after being in the fridge they'll become easier to hold onto too without the mess. 

After taste testing these I know Chocolate or Graham Cracker UMP would work great with this recipe in place of vanilla. We added 2 Tablespoon Chocolate chips to 1/2 of them just for variety. You could also use Cocoa nibs. 

Enjoy Good Food and wow your kids at the same time,

Coach Nancy

P.S. - The "Guinea Pigs" Loved Them! 🙂

Those people who know me well know I don't tend to do things halfway. When I commit to something I try to give my best effort and steer toward excellence. Even when I don't hit it, I don't want to have to tell myself I didn't try hard enough. Failure isn't the end, just one more way to learn, but giving up or giving in without giving it your best builds habits I'd rather not build. And yes, sometimes I take it too far, or take it too hard when it doesn't work out like I want. I'm still working on not taking myself so seriously Coach Nancy. 

One of the things I do take seriously is trying to stay fit and healthy. I don't always hit that mark either, which is why I am really glad to have the focus of our current "Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown" challenge. Me and the InBody had some words the other day, and unfortunately I had to take it's word over what I wanted to believe.

Which brings me to this quote from one of my favorite authors and quote genius, James Clear:

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a hobby. I have enjoyed woodworking since my dad and Paul Davis taught me some basic skill in 4-H. Creating something with my hands is something I very much enjoy. But I don't do it all the time, in fact I can literally go months between picking up my tools. But that's not going to kill me.

On the other hand, there are some things you just can't pick up and put down any time you feel like, or get "too busy", or just aren't in the mood.

Your Health and Fitness is one (two?) of them.

Your health isn't like riding a bicycle. You can't put it on the shed for 6 months or a year and get right back on and start riding. It takes awhile to get back in the groove.

When it comes to the health and fitness habit, momentum is everything.

And as we all know, momentum works both ways.

If you don't like starting over, stop stopping.

You get one life. There are no "do-overs". You can't hit reset and buy another one. 

You have been given a gift. You can take care of it like you would a new Ferrari, or you can treat it like a beat up 66 Plymouth. Vintage 66, that's me. A little dinged up, the hardtop is fading a bit, but I am still taking care of it the best I can.

Don't make your health a hobby.

Live life to the fullest full-time, all the time.

Make It Happen!

- DC

Can you believe it's the middle of July already?​

Yowsa!

It's been a few weeks since our last update, and I am happy to report the gardens are blowing up!

Check it out:

(Like, no kidding, Coach Nancy.)

As your Coach I am loving the job I get to do each day. I work the most fabulous people around. My primary focus is to help each of you get better.

Which brings me back to It Summer. Cr8 Fitness has always done S3 Sizzlin Summer Slimdown. With Covid hitting out country nothing has been normal, and we are rolling it out later than normal. Whatever. It's just about time we put as much normal into our life as possible. 

If you are anything like me, you probably know more people who have lost weight and gained it all back then those who have lost it and KEPT it off.

Why is that?

It's simple really; dieting works, until you don't diet anymore. If you go "off" your diet and go back to the way you were eating, you can't expect to keep it off. You know that, I know that, and yet we try to do it anyway. It's short term thinking, and it doesn't work.

Creating permanent change is not easy, but it IS possible.

Face it, we don't like change, we don't want to change, and dad gum (strong language alert) you can't MAKE me change! 

You're right. I can't.

But YOU can adopt new habits and practice new skills that lead you to change, pretty much automagically. 

Here's How:

Ok, let's do a little whining:

"But It's Summer Coach Nancy...... I have so many day trips planned and company is coming over for a picnic outside and my nephew has a birthday party and there is a graduation celebration I need to attend and I usually have a few drinks on the weekend and I tend to grill more and my family likes......... (that's a run on sentence that you have to say all in one breath - practice, you'll get it)

If you want to sign up for S3 - sign up for S3. If all those things are really going to prevent you from tackling the program, don't sign up. 

I was talking to Coach Dean this morning, He and I would like to get more focused. We both want to drop a few pounds. We know we need support. And we definitely need a plan. I need it SIMPLE.