It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update, blog, recipe, other fun-filled reads… BUT, this.
THIS.
Why am I choosing to share this video out of the hundreds of other videos, studies, essays, and research I’ve come across proving the message that is being put across? It’s pretty simple, really.
It’s short enough to get and keep your attention for the whole thing.
It’s JAM-PACKED with legit, clinical studies and information proving the point.
It relates to a common struggle MANY OF YOU have expressed, and are unsure why.
If you watch one 5-minute video this week, or this year… It better be this one. I’ll admit, that may even be including my own videos for you guys! There is a lot explained in this short video that can be a huge eye-opener to many people (which, in turn, will help you MAKE and STICK to your healthy choices):
What do you think? Does any of thing ring true to you? If you’ve gotten my Nutritional Cheat Sheet, you will see my notes regarding single foods that are both high in fat and carbohydrates (think ice cream, fried anything – especially sweets, most anything sugary and processed, even peanut butter, to name a few).
Hint: As you know by watching the above video, you want to steer clear of such apparent deliciousness!
Let me know what you think about this beneficial lil’ video of education in the comments below; will this effect your food choices from here on out? Have you experienced any of the side-effects mentioned when it comes to dopamine or satisfaction? Discuss!
Whether you are new to fitness and starting off your fat-loss journey, or you are playing with a macro-based form of nutrition and dieting (like IIFYM, or If It Fits Your Macros); or you want to learn more about the “categories” your favorite foods fall into in terms of Protein, Fat, Carbs, or Fiber; or you want to practice a sustainable way of figuring out portion sizes that doesn’t require you to carry a scale or measuring cups around (because, honestly, who wants to do that?!)… I am excited to share this with you!
Here is a little “cheat sheet” that I made specially for my clients, which is now available to all of you in the store!
This affordable, simple-to-follow Cheat Sheet will help you learn:
Numerous common different sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fats
Which common whole foods are natural combinations of proteins/fats or protein/carbs
General suggested serving sizes for men and women (that don’t involve measuring cups!)
General food timing suggestions for optimal progress or fat loss
Additional tips about fiber, greasy/junk foods, and seasonings
It has proven to be a huge help to many of you guys already, which makes me super happy to hear because I put a lot of thought and time into it for you all! I definitely encourage you to order up (it’s a full-size .PDF download you will gain access to once purchased), print it out, and keep on the fridge!
Shoot, print out a few and keep one at work and one in your wallet or purse, too. Look it over as a guide whenever you need to, and feel free to share it with friends!
An even better idea (and how I provide these wonderful little things to clients in person) is to print your Cheat Sheet in half-page size and then laminate it at a local office supply store… this way you can circle or cross off foods with a dry erase marker, making it a compact re-usable grocery list!
Whether you are just starting out towards your fitness journey with nutritional awareness or well on your way and in need of a handy guide to keep things in check, I hope this acts as a useful tool for you or someone you know! :)
I’m going to keep this short and simple so you can try it, stat. Here is something so easy, SO yummy, and my clients have probably heard me mention it once or twice (hence the requests for this post, which I apologize for how long it took me to do)!
This individually-sized chocolate cake literally takes just a few minutes to make and uses simple, protein-packed ingredients that will satisfy your sweet tooth without artificial ingredients, sugars, or additives. The recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and even vegan if you replace the liquid egg whites with a vegan-friendly egg substitute.
Easy Vegan Egg Substitute:Mix 2 Tbsp ground flax (seed or meal) with 6 Tbsp warm water. Let sit for about five minutes, until it becomes a gooey, egg-like consistency. Use in recipe as you would eggs/egg whites.
Plus, did you know that cocoa actually has numerous health benefits, including alleviating cravings and encouraging satiety? You’ll be surprised at how moist, rich, and delicious this turns out (and this is, admittedly, coming from someone who is NOT typically a fan of microwaving anything… never mind baked goods)!
Even more exciting news? This is just the first of a number of recipes (and videos) I will be posting featuring my most favorite, plant-based protein, RawFusion by SAN.
So here she is, the 3-Minute Chocolate Protein Cake (originally named the 2:30 AM Mudd Cake by the other half, who can also be credited for the lovely photo you see below… before it was devoured, of course).
3-Minute Chocolate Protein Cake (makes one serving)
In a mug or small bowl, whisk together the following:
1/4 – 1/2 C. liquid egg whites (enough to make it a batter consistency)
From there, simply put it in the microwave at a power level of 5 for 2 minutes (adjusting that power level is super important to ensure the right finished product here). Anddd… DONE!
(Could that have been any easier?!)
If you want to get even fancier, feel free to top it off with the following:
Sweet ‘n Creamy Vanilla Sauce (enough for two servings of cake)
Simply whisk together the following in a bowl:
1/2 Scoop of RawFusion protein (vanilla flavor preferred here!)
1/4 C. unsweetened Almond Milk (or enough to make it a thick-but-pourable consistency)
1 Tbsp Stevia
1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
After the cakes are done, flip them over onto plates and then spoon that goodness on top. You can also sprinkle with some chopped nuts (like the pistachios seen above)! ENJOY :)
I absolutely LOVE eggs. Always have, always will. Whether they’re scrambled, sunny-side-up, chopped over a salad, or even straight out of the carton (whites, in that case. And no, it doesn’t taste like foot. It’s tasteless and awesome)… Eggs have always been a staple food in my regime of deliciousness.
Cadbury Creme Eggs were even my favorite holiday treat growing up, for goodness sake. Side note: Are you aware they have actually decreased 30% in size since back in the heyday? Truth.
I partly hold this on account of my dad and the memories of him making his yummy breakfasts of eggs, mushrooms, cumin, and close to a half-stick of butter in a pan. I always wanted whatever he was making because it smelled so warm and spicy. Plus, he always ate everything with Lebanese pita bread. Believe it or not, the pita and butter was my favorite part… I just kind of put up with the eggs (reminder: Nutrition Specialists are not born Nutrition Specialists) and I could still hear my mom saying, “That is TOO much butter for her! Way too much,” to which he would say okay and then slice me off another chunk of golden, melty goodness when she wasn’t looking.
Coincidentally, I really miss my dad about now… and the thought of that much butter at this point kind of makes my stomach turn. But, I digress.
When it comes to the most convenient form of eggs – hard boiled – there is actually a LOT more involved then throwing eggs in a boiling pot of water and then peeling them after a few minutes. It’s a SCIENCE, and if you don’t have it down, you’ll likely experience one (or all) of the following hard boiled fails:
Tearing and peeling half the whites off with the shell. I call this the Moon Crater fail.
Success with peeling… but a puke green rim (or totally green, for that matter) yolk on the inside. Aka: the Groke.
A yolk that isn’t completely cooked and still runny (which is on purpose, at times, ie. the soft boiled egg).
A cracked or broken shell while boiling which ends up in seeping out whites and tumor-growth looking eggs.
(Add your hard boiled egg fail here)
It came to my attention recently that so many people don’t know exactly how to make the perfect hard boiled egg. Whenever anyone asks me what a good, portable, convenient option is for a snack, one of my go-to suggestions is this winner. However, 9 out of 10 people say they can never make them right! As soon as a couple of clients mentioned spending way too much money on a way questionable means of this amazing, protein-packed snack (*cough* 7-11 ready hard boiled eggs in a plastic baggy), I KNEW I had to share this post to benefit their bellies and everyone else who fears attempting the delicousness that is the HBE.
I’m pretty happy to say I have it down to a science and am even happier to share it here!
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGGS
You’ll need:
Eggs
Water
Large sauce pan with lid
Large slotted spoon
Large bowl
Ice
As an example here, I’m using a small saucepan and just a few eggs. But I highly suggest making these in bulk and using the biggest stock or sauce pan you have because you want to make sure the eggs are covered by a good inch of water without it boiling over once things get moving. Plus, it’s amazingly convenient to have a bunch of them ready to go in the fridge, especially if you don’t have time to prepare food during the day and need a quick snack (or protein for a full) to grab and go.
Step 1: Carefully place cold eggs in a single layer at the bottom of your sauce pan.
Notice the bottom egg is a little cracked. At the end, I share a tip that helps salvage the whites if they seep out while boiling.
Step 2: Fill the sauce pan with cold water until all the eggs are completely submerged (about an inch of water above eggs).
Step 3: Put sauce pan on stove and set it to high to boil.
Keep a good eye on it because it won’t need to boil for long…
Step 4: Once water gets going with a rolling boil, let boil for only one minute before removing from stove top.
Step 5: Cover with lid and take off the burner, setting it to the side
Set a timer for 15 minutes. The eggs will continue cooking in the hot water as they sit.
Step 6: Fill up a large bowl halfway with ice and then up about 3/4 high with cold water
Step 7: Once timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to remove eggs from sauce pan and place in ice bowl.
Let sit about 10 minutes, until ice is mostly melted down.
Can you guess which egg is the one that had the crack in it?
Now. Time for things to get serious.
You’ve made it this far, peeling glory is soon ahead.
And what would an instructional post be without a little video for the visual people?
Main tricks are:
Have water handy for rinsing (and even peeling under). It will help the shell slip off.
Tap both ends of the egg gently on a counter, then do a gentle “rolling’ motion to break it all around before peeling off (this REALLY helps!)
Use the side of your thumb to gently glide the shell off (as opposed to nails or the tips of your fingers). This alleviates risk of tearing any whites off with the shell.
Organic, brown eggs are harder to peel than regular, white eggs. Basically, the fresher the egg, the harder to peel. I definitely suggest and prefer organic, free range eggs if you plan on eating the whole thing including the yolk-y goodness. But if you mainly just want the whites, it will be easier on your prep (and wallet) to just get regular white eggs.
Try not to eat them as you’re peeling. At least not all of them. Yummy little health balls they are.
Additionally, if for some reason an egg cracks in the pot and whites start seeping out (like one of mine did because it had a slight crack in the shell before putting in), have some distilled white vinegar handy and throw a splash or two in the water as it begins to heat up. This helps the white coagulate faster and works well to salvage the egg.
Food for thought: Do you feel like hard boiled eggs make you bloated and gassy?
There is actually justification for this. Eggs (particularly the whites) are very high in sulfur… what most people familiarize with the “rotten egg” or Florida sprinkler system smell. Sulfur is a beneficial nutrient and one of the reasons eggs are a great super food. Any time eggs are cooked, the sulfuric compounds in the proteins are broken down and hydrogen sulfide is released (the cause of that smell). In the case of the HBE, however, this hydrogen sulfide has nowhere to really go. The green rim around the yolk from “overcooking” is actually a reaction between the ferrous iron in the yolk and the hydrogen sulfide in the white (yay, science)!
Some people poke a tiny hole with a very small needle in the shell of the egg before boiling to release pressure and claim this eases any digestive upset caused by the broken down proteins.I’ve never noticed any digestive issues regarding HBE’s personally, but it may be worth trying if you’ve had this issue! People also claim that poking the tiny hole encourages more even cooking, making the eggs easier to peel. But, as you can see once you try my method, a hole isn’t necessary for super hard boiled success!
Now time to go enjoy them however you like! My preference is simple with a bit of sweet and tangy homemade ketchup :)
Now that you know how to cook them up, what is your favorite way to eat hard boiled eggs?
… or for however many you like, really. This impromptu what-do-I-have-in-the-pantry-that-I-can-make-dessert-ish recipe is VERY easy and came out to two super moist and tasty little cakes. The consistency is almost fudge-like; the outside is just crisp enough to make it sort of a less gooey chocolate lava cake.
Yes it is as decadently good as it looks…..
And added bonus, they are egg-free, gluten-free, paleo-friendly (depending how strict of a regimen you’re on considering there is a pseudo-grain flour involved), and it can easily be vegan/dairy-free by simply substituting the kind of protein used in the sweet cream sauce to something like Sunwarrior Protein-Vanilla. Make sure to check out the notes below the recipe for more tips! :)
Try it out and let me know what you think!
Quinoa Cocoa Cakes for Two
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Quinoa Flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp Stevia*
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
Pinch of salt
Scant 1/4 tsp instant coffee or espresso (optional)
1 Tbsp Ground Flaxmeal
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
1/4 Cup + 3 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
What to do:
Preheat oven to 350.*
In a small glass or bowl, whisk together flaxmeal, olive oil, water, and vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In another bowl, mix together quinoa flour, cocoa powder, stevia, baking powder, instant coffee, and salt.
Add flax liquid to dry ingredients and whisk together well.
Split batter into two greased large muffin tins (or I had mini-bundt tins). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Plate each on top of half the Sweet Cream Sauce. Optional tops include.. well.. basically whatever you want. I had a dollop of Son of a Butter! Smoky Bacon Peanut Butter and a fresh strawberry.
*Next time I may try baking at 375 for around 18 minutes. If you like a more cakey, less fudgy center, this option would encourage that more.
Crazy Easy Sweet Cream Protein Sauce:
Scoop 1-2 Servings of your favorite vanilla protein powder into a bowl (I used Vi-Shape by Body By Vi since that is all I had on hand) and whisk with just enough water for thick sauce consistency. I added a touch of cardamom and cinnamon for an extra yumminess.
P.S. Don’t forget, if you want photos of recipes as they are created, workout tips, free gym routines, and other random goodness, you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter too. Happy New Year, everyone!
I know we are already well-beyond our tryptophan comas, but I still had to share this delicious and EASY recipe with everyone since it got such rave reviews from the members at the Anytime Fitness where I train and lend a helping hand.
Rather than re-typing it out on here, I attached it in the same handout format that I originally made. This way, you can just click on and print to size (either in a new window, or right click and hit “print”). Easy, breezy.
Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below! And, of course, Happy-Deliciously-Belated-Thanksgiving!
Super easy, super delicious, super festive ANY time of year!
Brace yourself. These are some vintage ads from back in the day (which, by the way, I’m sure quite a few moms took in as valid advice).
Ummmm… What?I especially love their advice in the box. This must have been pre-ADHD days.Would love to have met the Nutrition Professional behind this one!Oh sweet Moses……Have to love the sexual innuendo they mixed in for safekeeping. Heyo Sugar!Seriously, 7up?
It may seem surprising to see such blatantly misleading ads, but this really wasn’t that long ago. And even more interesting? Many don’t realize that marketing and advertising still play the same game today.
That commercial is just one modern day version of the ads above, which proves the point that it is always up to us as the consumer to educate ourselves on what is best for us and our family, nutritionally and otherwise. Depending on ads, propaganda, and trends, is basically just depending on a company’s financial goals more than your own well-being. And that’s not blaming the public, whatsoever. I like to think the companies and higher-ups behind these messages TO the public would know better… and either they truly don’t (in which case they should probably hire some more knowledgeable nutrition scientists and wellness consultants, hint hint)… Or, and unfortunately this is probably the winner, financial gain holds precedence over any concern for overall community well-being.
This is why it is so important to not only educate yourself, but take the minimal effort to be aware. Be aware of who is providing or funding the ads you read and commercials you watch. For example, the commercial shared in the link above was made by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA). The ads above were made by Sugar Information, Inc., and the Soda Pop Board of America. These corporations are, obviously, biased of the products they provide.
So, to sum it up, here are some easy tips to keep in mind:
It’s okay to be skeptical of advertising and marketing, especially in the food world (and this is coming from an admittedly naive, anti-skeptic)!
Educate yourself.
The less biased the source of a claim is, the more likely you can trust it.
When in doubt, just go back to simplicity: turn off the TV and computer, calm your mind of all external influences and sources, and stick to eating (and feeding your family) fresh, unprocessed foods like good ol’ fruits and veggies.
If you haven’t already, please take a moment to read and sign the petition at the page linked above. Also, like our page on Facebook to get updates and, as always, share with your friends. As of right now we are at nearly 1200 signatures… and the initial goal was 1000! The new goal is to keep on obtaining as many signatures and as much support as possible to have this lovely, health-happy petition ready to send out in the first week of December. I don’t know about you guys, but I feel really awesome about this. We are definitely proving to be a strong force of a community that knows the benefit of healthful, affordable eating. I honestly couldn’t be more excited and grateful for each and every person backing this little idea I had a few short months ago. I’ve said it a hundred times, but each of every one of you are more awesome than you know.
In other waaay less exciting news, I’ve updated a few different pages on this site (including the About Us, Personalized Services, and Links & Love tabs) and invite you to browse around and check things out. I will be the first to admit I’m no graphic designer or webmaster, so if things aren’t aligned or formatted correctly, it’s definitely a work in progress! I may even change the entire design of the site to make it easier to navigate and more appealing. If you have any suggestions, definitely don’t hesitate to contact me as I am always open to new and improved ideas from those who are actually web-design savvy! :)
Besides that, I am making it a point to have at least one weekly blog post beginning now. Get ready for new recipes, interesting research finds, entertaining pictures, my venture updates, contests/giveaways, and other random thoughts I can’t help but share. One thing is for sure, I hope to brighten your day, encourage contemplation, and share love with each and every one of you.
By the way, is Thanksgiving Live! on Food Network the equivalent to the Super Bowl to anyone else, or am I just that much of a culinary nerd? Coincidentally, I came across this today…
Personally, my reaction involves more drooling less yelling.. But you get the idea..
Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank YOU for all you do, because you ARE amazing!
*This petition has already been printed and mailed thanks to ALL of you!
For updates, please visit and like our Open a Trader Joe’s in Ormond Beach, FL, Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TJinOB
Please take a moment to read, sign, and SHARE this petition. Just fill out your information in the spaces given, read over the letter, and click the button below it to add your signature!
Once we receive one-thousand signatures, they will each be printed out and mailed directly to the CEO of Trader Joe’s, Mr. Daniel Bane.
Share through email, Facebook, smoke signal.. any way you can! We are already well on our way to making this happen! :)
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