Welcome to my blog. My passion is living active, living healthy, living happy.

Exercise alone will NOT get you the body that you want.
My mission:
To be the best Lean Body Coach. Using Nutrition Coaching and Behavior Change Programs I will transform the lives of my clients and build a more rewarding life for them.

If you have a question about nutrition, diet, fitness, motivation, or anything else, leave a comment or leave it on my facebook page.


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Healthy Recipes

Do you have a healthy recipe that you would like to share, then send me an email.

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Hearty Nine Bean Soup Recipe (serves 4-6)

This recipe was sent from my momma; such a good cook. Thanks for sharing Mom!

       Ingredients   
2 tbsp Olive oil 
1 coarsely chopped onion 
1 clove garlic finely minced 
1/2 cup chopped celery 
2 cups nine bean soup mix*
4 cups chicken stock 
2 cups water 
1 - 28oz can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
5-6tbsp curry (optional)
Parmesan cheese (garnish)
 
Directions:
soak beans in cold water for 12 hours. Drain before using. Rinse gentle again. In a large saucepan, over medium heat ,saute olive onion,garlic and celery for approx5 minutes until onion and celery are translucent. Add soup mix, tomatoes,chicken stock and water add salt and pepper and curry (optional) to taste. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low cover pot and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours. Stir periodically. ladle into bowl. sprinkle with parmesan cheese prior to serving


*Note: you can buy this at Costco, but you can also sub in a bean mixture such as: black beans, navy beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, white beans, chick beans, black eye beans.


Bon Appetite.......

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Mango Bran Muffins
This recipe was shared with me from Tracey Gardiner from Prince Rupert BC. Thanks for sharing!

• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup bran cereal (soak in wet ingred. first for 10 min)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 ripe mango, pealed and shredded or you can sub ¾ cup of blueberries if you don’t have mango, not both.
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tlbs olive oil
• ½ cup of apple sauce
• 1 apple grated or any kind of fruit that goes with mango.
• Soak above ingredients in a bowl for about 10 until bran softens
then add:
• 1 cup all purpose flour (¾ cup whole wheat and ¼ white)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• ½ cup oatmeal
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup flax seed

Method 
1. Stir wet mixture into flour mixture and mix well to combine.
2. Spoon mixture into 12 non-stick 90 ml/ 3 fl Oz capacity muffin tins and bake in preheated oven, 350F for 13minutes or until muffins are cooked when tested with toothpick. Turn on a wire rack to cool. 
Note : When fresh ripe mangoes are unavailable, drain, canned mangoes can be used instead. Don’t use hard, chopped mangos they don’t stick into the muffins very good.

Enjoy!
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CheeZe-less Mac n' Cheeze
I used to love mac n' cheese as a kid until I realized that all cheese was going straight to my butt, in the form of cellulite! So I wanted to come up with a recipe that could cut all that cheese. Not that cheese is bad, but this way it really is guilt free. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 fresh butternut squash* (peeled and chopped) or 1 cup canned butternut squash
  • EVOO
  • 1/2 tsp butter or apple sauce
  • 1 cup Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk*
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • pepper to taste
  • Pasta any kind but white, I used rice elbow noodles*
  • Mix-ins of choice (eg. Kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, squash, zucchini, I used Brussels Sprouts)
1. Preheat Oven to 425F. In a casserole dish or a lined tin foiled cookie pan, roast butternut squash and a small amount of EVOO  and pepper, enough just to coat. Roast for about 40 minutes or until fork tender.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the "cheeze" sauce in a pot on the stove. Add butter or apple sauce over medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch until clumps are gone. Add into pot and whisk.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients (Dijon, garlic, pepper) and whisk over low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes or so). Do not leave unattended.

 4. In a blender or food processor, blend the sauce with the roasted squash (or if using canned, simply stir into the pot)

5. Add cooked, drained and rinsed pasta into a pot or dish, heat in oven or broil and serve.


Notes:
*My squash was small so I used 2 small ones which made about 1-1.5 cups.
*I also try to use Organic Almond milk (and I know it might be more expensive) however almonds are heavily sprayed with pesticides so when i choose to use these types of ingredients you have to go organic, if you can't afford it use milk, (unless you are from the states, use coconut milk or organic milk).
*Tip, soak rice noodles in cold water before cooking them as they turn out waay better and they only need 2 to maybe 5 minutes to cook.


MMMmmmmm.....mmm............

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I received this recipe from Tracey Gardiner from Prince Rupert BC.
But before I share this recipe, I thought I would share with you why her muffins are soo good for you.

Carrots have many important vitamins and minerals. They are rich in antioxidants Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Phytochemicals and Glutathione, Calcium and Potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E, which are also considered antioxidants, protecting as well as nourishing the skin. They contain a form of calcium easily absorbed by the body. Finally they also contain Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous. and Sulphur - better than a wonder drug!! Carrots are good for your eyes and they are anti-asthma and anti-rheumatoid arthritis.

Pineapple contains vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorous and potassium and is a great source of fiber and carbohydrates. This also gives it its sweet flavor and makes it an excellent alternative to less healthy sugary snacks such as chocolates and sweets.
The nutrition pineapple offers however is really where its strengths lie. Pineapple contains bromelain – a proteolytic enzyme which helps with the digestion of protein. This is important for the body in various ways, firstly as it will help you to avoid feeling bloated after a meal and prevent indigestion, but also because it will help you to utilize that all important protein which is used by the body for its amino acids to produce muscle, tendons and every other part of the human body. Bromelain also helps to prevent a blood clot which it particularly important for those who are prone to them or have suffered from strokes or high blood pressure. 

So lots of good ingredients in this Muffin, thanks for sharing it with us Tracey!

Healthy Low-Fat Carrot and Pineapple Muffins
In a ½ cup put 1 tbsp of olive oil and top the rest up with apple sauce (all totaling ½ cup)
¼ cup of brown sugar (or less)
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups of whole wheat flour and ¾ cups white flour (totaling 2 cups)
½ cup oatmeal
¼ cup ground flax seed (or oatbran)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
Dash of salt
¼ cup shredded coconut (if desired)
1 small can, semi-drained of crushed pineapple
2 tsp of vanilla
1 cup finely shredded carrots (I use food processor)
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup raisins
¼ dried  cranberries
¼ cup chopped pited dates

Add ingredients from 1st to last, mix up slowly no need for mixer,
(it should all be really moist) and spoon into muffin tins with liners or spray first
(if you heap the batter you will get a little bigger muffins). 
Cook 13-15 min at 350 watching closely after 13 min,
do not overcook as it will cause dryness .


Enjoy!!


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 'Meatless Monday' Number 2


 Eggplant Parmesan
2    Eggplants
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
4 Cups Dry Cottage Cheese
2   Eggs
2 tbsp Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzeralle Cheese
1 tbsp of grated Parmesan Cheese
Dash of Dill, Pepper, Coriander
                                                      2 crushed cloves of garlic

 Preheat Oven to 350F. Cut eggplants into 1/2-inch slices. Brush some of the olive oil onto large baking sheet. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on sheets and brush tops with additional oil. Bake until eggplant is fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes.





In large bowl, mix together dry cottage cheese, eggs and dill, pepper and coriander. In large baking dish, layer half the eggplant. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the bread crumbs over eggplant; spread cottage cheese mixture on top. Arrange remaining eggplant in another layer. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs; top with tomato sauce. Sprinkle cheeses on top. Bake until cheeses begin to brown, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!



So Yummy!!


Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Email it to me, I love to try new recipes. :)



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‘Meatless Monday’ Number 1

I am making ‘Meatless Mondays’. To start this week off, I made this very yummy veggie burger. I made this from my own invention, not from a recipe book. And if anyone knows me, I never cook from a recipe, so this was a challenge, since I had to actually measure out what I was putting into my food.

So you are probably thinking, I am never going to devout a full day without meat. But here are some facts to ponder on until our next ‘Meatless Monday’.......

Eating fewer animal products is good for the environment and for the world’s population. And this is based on 4 things: 1. greenhouse gas production, 2. waste production, 3. water consumption and 4. World-wide hunger. Let me explain.
1. Greenhouse gasses: a report by the United Nations in 2006 suggested that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.
2. Wasted production: livestock produce an estimated 13 billion tons of waste every year, and this waste creates an unmanageable pollution problem. The gases released from the waste are deteriorating our ozone causing global warming.
3. Water consumption: recent statistics suggest that producing one pound of beef uses approximately 2500 gallons of water. As an obvious result, it’s reported that the standard ‘Meat’ diet eater in the US requires about 4200 gallons of water input per day. A plant-based dieter, on the other hand, requires only 300 gallons of water per day.
4. World-wide hunger: animal producers for food, use nearly 75% of the annual grain harvest to feed farm animals. With nearly 800 million people going hungry worldwide, I don’t know about you but I feel like we are prioritizing feeding the animals that over feed us. Don’t you feel like a fat cow.

Of course I am not asking you to become a plant-based dieter, maybe just make one meal a week, or join me for ‘Meatless Mondays’. New research recommends that people in developed countries should limit their meat intake to approximately three ounces per person per day to help reduce global warming. Of course, there are hundreds of ways that individuals can do to reduce greenhouse gasses besides dietary changes, and I am not asking you to reduce your intake of meat to 3 ounces/day.  This is my new way to contribute to the environment; so this is why I am taking back the old, ‘Meatless Mondays’. What are you doing to contribute to the environment??

Lean, High-Protein Veggie Burger
1 can or 2 cups of black beans, rinsed

1 can or 2 cups of chick peas, rinsed
1 small broccoli floret
1 small white onion
½ cup of frozen corn
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp ginger (optional)
1-3 ounces of pickle juice (this is optional, but it make the burger have a unique, yummy flavor)
1 tsp Dijon mustard or yellow mustard

Place all above ingredients in food processor or blender. Then mix in 1 cup bran, 2 cups of oats and 2 eggs to bind it all together.
Add pepper (and you can add salt, but I never salt my food, I think there is enough salt in our foods today.)
Let it rest for about 15 minutes in fridge.
Makes 14, 4 ounce patties, (around the size of my palm). I enjoyed mine on a thinny-bun with tomato, lettuce, cucumber and mustard.
You can add whatever veggies or beans you want, the options are endless. 


Yummm..........


 Share with me your meatless Monday dish.


  







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