A Healthy Alternative - Pumpkin Spice Latte

                                                    

Fall is here and my Facebook timeline has blown up with people elated over the return of the infamous Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. However, this drink can be "not so nice" when it comes to being figure friendly! According to the Starbucks nutritional information this drink in a 16 oz size with whipped cream has:

Calories: 380
Calories from fat: 120
Total Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Carbs: 51g
Sugar: 49g

So how can you still enjoy these famous fall drinks without breaking your calorie bank and overloading on sugar? Try this recipe courtesy of TheGraciousPantry.com.

Clean Eating Pumpkin Spice Latte
(Makes 2 lattes)

Ingredients
 
4 tbsp. ground coffee
1 tbsp. pumpkin spice (no sugar added, just the spice mix)
2-1/2 cups water
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk OR…
2 cups regular milk + 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

Directions

NOTE: I made this using a French press. So it was easy to get these specific measurements. If you use a coffee maker, you’ll need to adjust the amounts of all the ingredients based on the amount of coffee you use. You can double or triple or….
Step 1 – Combine the coffee and the pumpkin spice and brew as usual with the specified amount of water.
Step 2 – Pour the maple syrup in the bottom of your cup and pour half of the hot coffee over that.
Step 3 – Add 1 cup of milk and stir.
Step 4 – Repeat steps 2-3 for the second serving.

Sip and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/2 the recipe
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 3 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 189 mg
Carbohydrates: 17 gm
Dietary fiber: 0 gm
Sugars: 12 gm
Protein: 2 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 9

While you are over there check out some of the other recipes on her website. She has a lot of great recipes and clean renditions of some of my favorite comfort foods. 

Happy Fall! 

Team Beachbody is Going GLOBAL!

The time has come!! We have been waiting for this opportunity for the longest time and it is finally here! Team Beachbody is going GLOBAL! Canadian residents are now going to be able to become Team Beachbody Coaches! That is right - they are going to be able to join us in fighting this obesity epidemic and ENDING THE TREND! 

If you are a Canadian resident or know someone who is that would be a great fit for this opportunity please contact me . I would love to have you join my team as one of the founding Canadian Team Beachbody Coaches! 

Together we are stronger! Let's fight this epidemic together!! 

 
For more information on Team Beachbody Coaching please contact me at bbcoachkaren@yahoo.com.

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

Do you ever have those days where you wake up regretting all of the food you ate the day before? Did you just return from vacation where you made some not so great choices in food? You have that sluggish feeling that just won't go away, you feel bloated, and just plain "yucky"? If you are just starting a fitness journey, trying to lose a few quick pounds or are needing to bust through a plateau - a 3 day Shakeology cleanse may just be what you need!

The Shakeology cleanse will help you cleanse your body of the chemicals and toxins that are bogging down your system. The cleanse will help get your body running at optimal performance. What this cleanse is not is some magic potion. It consists of drinking Shakeology three times a day, drinking green tea, eating snacks of fruit and having a salad with a white protein for dinner, and of course, drinking a lot of water.

 If you are super healthy and an athlete you will probably not see a lot by means of weight loss. However, the average amount of weight loss is 3-5 lbs in the 3 days. I have seen more and I have seen less.

The Shakeology cleanse is calorie restricted but nutrient dense. You will be taking in anywhere from 800-1200 calories a day. Below is instructions on how to do the cleanse..

If you are interested in trying the Shakeology cleanse contact me for the cleanse kit. I have them available in Chocolate, Greenberry, Vegan Chocolate and Vegan Tropical Strawberry. For more information e-mail me at bbcoachkaren@yahoo.com.

Have a great weekend!

Clean Eating Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

The last couple of days we have had the chance to see some cooler temperatures at night and in the early morning. It has been wonderful and gets me excited for Fall weather. With Fall weather comes some Fall favorites such as sweatshirts, hot cocoa, fires and all of the wonderful foods we associate with Fall. I will be featuring some recipes each week that include some of my favorites such as squash and apples. 

This recipe may not be a "Fall" recipe but still stands out as one of my favorite. The recipe comes from Clean Eating Magazine. Quinoa stuffed peppers are an easy meal that is high in protein and extremely tasty. Enjoy!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

-from Clean Eating Magazine

 

Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers:

 

2 ORGANIC bell peppers (any color), halved and seeded, stems intact

1/2 C uncooked quinoa

1/2 C chicken broth

7 oz diced tomatoes

5 oz spinach or kale

1 T pine nuts

 

Pesto:

2 cups basil or spinach

1/2 clove garlic

1 1/2 T Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)

1 T pine nuts

1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 pinch fresh ground black pepper

 

Instructions:

Prepare peppers: preheat broiled to high. Place bell peppers, skin side up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil until bell peppers start to soften, about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye so you don't burn!

Meanwhile, combine quinoa, broth, and tomatoes in medium pot. Bring to boil on high heat,then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Add handfuls of spinach to quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Fill bell pepper halves with quinoa-spinach mixture, divide evenly.

 

Prepare pesto:

Add basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts, oil, salt, and pepper to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 2-3T water as needed to thin pesto. Top stuffed peppers with pesto or serve on the side.

 

Nutrients for 2 peppers:

388calories, 18gfat, 43gcarbs, 9gfiber, 14gprotein

 

A new program for the beginning of 2013!

As you probably know I have tried all kinds of different in home workout programs. I have done everything from P90X to Turbo Fire to ChaLEAN Extreme. They all hold a unique place in my heart. Each one offers something a little different. I never thought that anything would take the place of my all time favorite workout P90X. When I first heard the announcement that we were going to start offering the in home version Les Mills PUMP I did not think much about it. I had heard here and there about BodyPump and Combat that were taught in gyms and even had some friends doing those classes and raving about them. It did not take long for me to jump on board the Les Mills train!

Les Mills PUMP is an amazing program. I have so much fun doing it and I never get that dreaded "I don't want to do this workout today" feeling. The music is high energy, the trainers are fun and entertaining. When I got the PUMP program I opted for the extra DVDs that came with the upgrade. This set included Combat. All I can say is WOW. What a workout! So much fun and such a great workout. It includes all different kinds of martial arts. Combat soon became my favorite workout of the whole Les Mills PUMP set. When I was at Summit this year for Beachbody and heard the announcement that we would be offering a FULL Combat program from Les Mills at the end of 2012 I could barely contain myself! A whole program of Combat?!? I have only seen the teaser trailer so far and I am more excited than I can begin to say. Pre-orders are going to start on Oct 1st for an end of year delivery. I think this will be the perfect way to start 2013. It gives me the rest of 2012 to finish up a full round of PUMP and then go into Combat. 

Here is the trailer so far:
Les Mills COMBAT 

You know how when you find that soul mate workout you never feel like you are actually working out? This is how I feel about Les Mills. I have yet to be able to try one of the live classes in a gym but I did get an amazing opportunity to work out with the Les Mills PUMP trainers live in Las Vegas at Summit this year and the energy was out of this world! These trainers hold a special place in my heart.

 I think it is super important to find that soul mate workout. Not everyone is going to like the same kind of program. I love the mixed martial arts. I think this new program is going to take me to the next level. 

If you have any questions or need help finding that "soul mate" workout for yourself please feel free to ask. Have a great week! KIA KAHA!!

Why Do I Gain Weight When I Start a New Exercise Program?

I can not even begin to tell you how many times a friend, family member, or client messages me and says "What is going on? I started this program and I am just gaining weight? What am I doing wrong?". This is a common fear that leads to many people just giving up and quitting before they even really get started. However, it is actually normal! Why do you gain weight when starting a new exercise routine? I read a great article written by Chalene Johnson a long time ago and always reference back to it. Here is what she wrote:

Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan

By Chalene Johnson

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, such as Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, or others! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program! 

So don't give up!! Anything worth doing is not going to be easy. Remember WHY you started this journey in the first place! Are you doing it to be healthier? More active with your kids? For you or for your family? To avoid illness in the later stages of life? No matter what your reasoning is just make sure it is strong enough that even the hardest days won't make you quit. This is not a diet, a quick fix, or a magic pill. Those things don't work! It is hard work and dedication - exercise and clean eating. Simple as that.