20 thing we should all say more often

Fun Friday Flick by Kid President!




Asher watched this with me and thought it was pretty funny!

We did a little dance at the end for the Bonus one too :)
Happy Friday

Chocolate Shakeology Brownies with Avocado Icing!

Gord had a little chocolate Shakeology left over this week and asked me if I could make something with it.

Our bag of Shakeology often comes with a recipe card for cookies, pudding and Popsicles but I was in the mood to make brownies so I came up with these...

Look pretty tasty right? 

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate shakeology Brownies with Avocado Shakeology Icing

Brownie recipe

Half cup peanut butter

1/4 cup local honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate Shakeology

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

Wisk together natural or homemade peanut butter with honey, eggs, almond milk and vanilla. Then in another small bowl scoop out one cup of Chocolate Shakeology add the baking soda and sea salt. Stir dry ingredients to combine.

Wisk dry ingredients into wet. Transfer into small greased baking pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes. 

Remove from oven and cool completely. 

While cooling make the avocado icing.

Chocolate Shakeology Avocado Icing

1 large avocado, ripe

1scool chocolate Shakeology

1/4 cup local honey

2 Tbsp water

Put all ingredients into magic bullet or food processor and blend until smooth. 

When the brownie is cool spread with icing, cut and enjoy! 

The cool thing is that this is a healthy gluten free, dairy free if using vegan Shakeology brownie with no processed refined sugar in it at all. 

You could also use any nut or seed butter in place of peanut butter! 

Gord ate it up tonight after dinner and quite liked it! 

Beachbody Summit 2014 - What went down and what I learned this year!

Wow, Summit was an amazing experience!  

I listened to Diana Nyad speak about her journey and many struggles on the way to her goal and success in the water.  What a truly remarkable woman she is.  

I also had the privilege of hearing Darren Hardy Author of Success magazine speak to us about never giving up and how the compounding effect of small seemingly insignificant tasks each day can lead to great success over time.  I have read his book the Compound effect but hearing him speak was an unforgettable experience!

Those were the Key Note speakers for two of the nights during Summit. But we also learned so much from many other speakers and coaches who shared their wisdom and knowledge.  

I participated in the super workout along side thousands of other coaches, this workout included Chalene Johnson doing her new program PiYo to warm us up.  Following her we did a little Combat workout, then Tony Horton gave us a taste of P90x3 and then Autumn Calabrese came out and gave everyone a taste of the 21 day fix!  At this point I ran out of water and was an hour into the workout.... so I quickly found some water and joined back in for Shawn T's Insanity workout!  

What a great experience that was! 

New Products and Programs

Isabelle Daikeler the co-creator Shakeology has developed a new 3-Day Refresh program for those wanting to clean up their eating and get a fresh start!  Check out the details on this program here.  

In addition Tony Horton Announced that he is releasing a new program for those just starting out on their fitness journey which will be called P90!  I think this program will be a great intro to get people started. 

If you want a chance to win a copy of P90 you can enter your name and email address on my site here to be entered!  www.P90TBB.com?referringRepId=326709

And you will also be one of the first to know when it is released!

Check it out:

PiYo was also released while at Summit and this program is already a huge hit!  I ordered mine and an anxiously waiting to try it out!  I got a small taste of PiYo at the Super Workout and I loved it!  I can't wait to see more!

What else I learned?

Summit is AMAZING!  So Busy, so many great things to do, see, listen to and take in.  I couldn't do it all..... I had hoped to fit in many of the workouts, but between team meetings, late nights and other conflicting sessions taking place I was only able to make it to the super workout!  

I was looking forward to some more sleep than I get at home... but I think I likely got about the same amount when all was said and done!  I woke up at 5:30am for the Super Workout to get there in time to get a terrible spot at the back but better than some.  

I was glad I did bring quite a variety of clothing.  Mostly I needed workout gear, and dressy outfits.  But not much else.  I had brought some business casual outfits to wear to the sessions but as it turned out most people just work their workout gear most of the time so I  did the same!

Line up everyone Body, Line Up, Line up!

Man the lines were long for most things if you were eager to be the first for anything it meant devoting a day to waiting it seemed.  But what I learned about the lines is that there is really no point in bothering with them.... if you can be patient and wait until the flurry dies down a bit you will walk right in to things like the Core which is where you can purchase workout gear and specific workout program related items!  

However for the sessions it is best to line up about 45 minutes to an hour before hand otherwise your sitting on the floor our you don't get in at all!  I was surprised by this but I learned fast that I just wasn't going to make it to EVERY session!  And luckily they were recorded so I can watch them all at home.  

It really was an amazing experience and Gord and I have registered for Summit next year which is going to be in Nashville!  I can not wait for this trip!!!  

June 28th Super Saturday Event

I will be co-hosting the Victoria Super Saturday event on June 28th!

Mark your calendars!!!

Coaches why you have got to get there:

• Hear about corporate Updates that will help you focus on your business
• Meet local coaches and learn from the leaders in the business
• Celebrate accomplishments
• Bring a guest and get entered into a raffle

Why non-coaches should get there too!

• Workout after the event (possibly a PiYo workout)
• Connect with your coach face to face
• Enter into a raffle for a free program and bring a friend and get two tickets into the raffle!

Check out the event details and register for your spot here:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/super-saturday-june-28th-tickets-11996366455

I hope you can attend!  Should be a fun event!

Week 8 - 10 Weeks of Real Food Mini Pledges

Week 8 of the 10 weeks of real food mini pledges is about reading the ingredients on packaging and counting them!!!  This week I'm going to ask you to avoid any and all packaged food products that contain more than five ingredients no matter what ingredients are listed.  Obviously it would be ideal if these ingredients adhered to the other pledges we have already completed.   

Here is Michael Pollan's take on this rule:

“Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients. The specific number you adopt is arbitrary, but the more ingredients in a packaged food, the more highly processed it probably is. Note 1: A long list of ingredients in a recipe is not the same thing; that’s fine. Note 2: Some products now boast, somewhat deceptively, about their short ingredient lists. Häagen-Dazs has a new line of ice creamed called ‘five.’ Great–but it’s still ice cream. Same goes for the three-ingredient Tostitos corn chips advertised by Frito-Lay–okay, but they’re still corn chips.”

Try to find products where the ingredients are all real food and have a max of 5 listed!  It's a challenge but I know you can do it!!  

The main goal of this rule is to get people to start reading and scrutinizing the ingredient labels on their food
To give you a leg up here is a list of groceries that typically have less than 5 ingredients listed: 

• All fruits, vegetables, local meat/animal products, and wild-caught seafood
• Dried fruit, nuts and seeds
• Popcorn
• Carrot Raisin Manna Bread (Freezer Section)
• Lara bars
• Triscuits
• Fruit leathers
• Applesauce
• Whole-wheat Matzo crackers
• Brown rice crackers and cakes
• Oats
• Cheese
• Brown rice
• Whole-wheat pasta
• Olives
• Beans
• Peanut butter
• Puffed whole-grain corn cereal
• Shredded wheat cereal
• 100% pure maple syrup and honey

Good Luck!

Big Brother Workout 2014

I'm hosting a Big Brother workout for Season 16!  This should be a lot of fun!  I've created a Facebook group where those doing the workout can share their experience, motivate each other and just chat about the show!  If you would like to join in on the fun click here to join the group!

Basically how it will work is for every time there is a commercial break we will do a 30 second plank.  Then the rest of the commercial is a rest.  Through out the show every time a House Guest is pictured eating for example we will  have to do a 15 Second Side plank, every time a deal is made we do 10 jumping jacks etc.  Should be interesting to see how good of a workout we get in during each show!

Hopefully we all get a reasonable workout but not overkill LOL, we want to watch the show still right!

Starts June 25th!!!  

Expect the Unexpected!

Week 7 - Real Food Mini Pledge - Unrefined Oils and Healthy fats!

Here is Mini Pledge Week 7: No refined or hydrogenated oils including (but not limited to): vegetable oil, organic vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, organic canola oil, margarine, and grape seed oil.

Olive oil, for example, that is unrefined, uses olives that have been pressed to extract the oil, but the oil itself hasn’t been filtered, heated, treated with chemicals, and so on. In other words, without getting too technical, it’s in its pure state.

Overall, it is best to consume unrefined oils.

Many of the oils used in the modern American diet are hazardous to our health. They are processed, cleaned with chemicals, and most come from genetically modified corn, canola or soy. Most oils found on the grocery store aisles are heated to very high temperatures during processing; this heat oxidizes the oils. Oxidation also creates free radicals that can damage the cells of our bodies so it is best to avoid them. The processing increases the shelf-life of the oils and removes most of the natural flavoring, making them more attractive for the industrial food industry, but less attractive to the consumer. Vegetable oils, like canola and corn oil, are usually made with genetically modified corn, canola, and soy. So, I suggest you limit the use of such oils and stick with unrefined oils.

Here’s an easy checklist of oils to avoid:

Vegetable Oil
Organic Vegetable Oil
Soybean Oil
Corn Oil
Canola Oil
Organic Canola Oil
Grape Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Oils
Margarine
Any oil that is labeled as refined, hydrogenated, partially-hydrogenated

Oils to use:

Coconut Oil - When buying coconut oil, make sure you buy organic, unrefined, centrifuged oil. To receive the maximum benefits you really want to find the best oil possible. Coconut oil is extremely stable so it is great to use when higher heat is necessary. In a typical recipe, coconut oil can be used as a replacement for other oils 1:1. If you are sautéing, however, I have found that you need less coconut oil than you may initially think (due to low water content), so use it very sparingly.

Butter - best is organic and grass fed but regular butter will do for this challenge!  Go for unsalted.

Olive Oil - When buying olive oil, look for oil that is extra virgin, cold-pressed, and unfiltered.

Sesame oil is a stable oil that is great for cooking at high heats.

Red palm oil is a beautifully rich red oil that contains oleic and linoleic acid.

Flaxseed oil is rich in omega-3s and should be kept refrigerated until consumed. Since heat will oxidize this oil, it should not be used to cook with, but rather only added to salads, smoothies, and other cold foods. It is best to use this oil in small quantities because the body absorbs it slowly. I add Flaxseed oil to Asher's Smoothies to bump up his calorie level because he has a hard time putting on weight!

Lard – preferably from organic, pastured animals

Ghee (clarified butter) – good to use at high temperatures

Tallow – preferably from organic, pastured animals

Avocado oil – good to use at high temperatures

Although cooking at home with healthy oils can be an easy switch, it can be far more difficult to find processed foods cooked with healthy fats.  Make sure to read the labels on packaged foods to know what kinds of oils were used and choose products that use the most healthy ingredients.  Gord and I have found avocado oil chips that are a nice treat once and a while and I love knowing that they are cooked without canola or another unhealthy refined oil!

Start small with this pledge and work towards eating more and more unrefined oils.  If you have never used coconut oil maybe this week try purchasing some and using it for cooking and baking in your home!  Tonight Asher asked for grilled cheese and I had run out of butter so I used a little coconut oil and it was wonderful!  Coconut oil is great for so many uses including moisturizing the skin!

Comment below "All in" if your are participating in this weeks pledge!

No crap toothpaste

IBetween toothpaste, deoderant and Shampoo, it can be very hard to find these products that aren't full of bad stuff for our bodies but actually do their job! 

I'll start with tooth paste and touch on the other two in future posts. 

As many of you know I went through a couponing phase about 4 years ago and often found great deals and coupons on toothpaste like crest, Colgate other brand names which regularly put out coupons. 

I came to realize that not only are the ingredients in our processed food bad for us but so are the ingredients in our makeup, shampoo, body creams, tooth paste and deoderant. Check them out! 

I had a box of Colgate total left over from my couponing days or some sale and I checked out the list on the back:

Aqua, blue 1, cellulose gum, chondrus crispus (carrageenan), flavour/saveur, glycerine, hydrated silica, mica, propylene glycol, PMV/MA copolymer, sodium hydroxide, sodium laurel sulfate, sodium saccharin, sorbitol, titanium dioxide, yellow 10.

What on earth.... Why are there so many strange unknown substances in toothpaste? Aqua or water is about the only item on that list I would feel comfortable eating or drinking.  

Here is the run down of what these ingredients actually are. One of them actually dulls the taste buds for sweet things.... No wonder people can't get enough sweets. We are addicted to sugar as it is, thanks to the food manufactures putting it into everything. But now the toothpaste makers are helping to dull the taste of sweetness! 

Carrageenan
Food-grade carrageenan is an extract of red seaweed (Chondrus crispus). It is used to thicken and stabilize a large array of food products, including frozen yogurt and reduced-fat ice cream. It’s used as a thickening agent in toothpaste. Carrageenan is considered a carcinogen and has been shown to cause cancer. 

FD&C Blue #1
Synthetic dye produced from petroleum; this dye is FDA-approved for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

 

Glycerin
Glycerin is a compound which can be used to balance and maintain moisture levels. In toothpaste, it prevents the product from drying out and helps to preserve the product — it also contributes to a good mouth-feel and improves flavor. It may be of animal origin, and is thus listed in the PETA's Caring Consumer guide as a byproduct of soap manufacture which typically uses animal fat.

 

Hydrated silica
Hydrated silica is a derivative of silicon dioxide (found in nature as sand or quartz). It is a clear gel that acts as an abrasive in gel toothpastes. In opaque toothpaste, hydrated silica acts as a secondary abrasive. 

 

Mica
Mica is from the phyllosilicate mineral family — powdered white mica is used in a number of cosmetics, including toothpaste, for its sparkle. It is also used as a mild abrasive to aid in polishing of the tooth surface.

Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin conditioning agent and in toothpaste as a humectant. It has been associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria (hives) in humans; these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2 percent.

PVM/MA copolymer
PVM/MA Copolymer is a copolymer of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride and is used as a binder.

Sodium hydroxide

Otherwise known as lye or caustic soda. In toothpaste it works to neutralize the pH of other ingredients.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)

Before the 1940s, toothpaste contained soap. Now SLS is used as the detergent part of the toothpaste, which makes the toothpaste lather in your mouth. (It’s commonly found in shampoos for the same purpose.) SLS has a reputation for being a skin irritant, and in a study located in theU.S. National Library of Medicine, it was found that a significantly higher frequency of aphthous ulcers (canker sores) was demonstrated when the patients brushed with an SLS-containing toothpaste.

 

SLS Bonus! The ingredient is also responsible for the unpleasant taste of orange juice after you brush your teeth. SLS desensitizes the taste buds that pick up sweetness, so your tongue is getting only the sour and bitter flavors.

Sodium saccharin

Since toothpaste manufacturers aren’t going to add sugar to mask the many bitter flavors listed here — they turn to artificial sweeteners, like saccharin.

 

Sorbitol

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used in food products and is used in toothpaste for sweetening, but it is also used as a humectant and texturizing agent.

 

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is an inorganic compound used as a colorant in a range of body care products such as sunscreens and makeup. It gives non-gel toothpastes their bright whiteness.

 

Titanium dioxide has been described as a possible human carcinogen by the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

D&C Yellow #10 and D&C Red #30
Synthetic dyes produced from petroleum or coal tar sources; these dyes are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Well I'm counting at least two known carcinogens just in our toothpaste! Which means our toothpaste coukd be causing cancer!  I've see what cancer does and I personally want to avoid it if at all necessary! 

So, Yesterday I visited the farm store in Duncan which has all kinds of natural and organic products. However you do still have to read labels even in a store that has generally more heathy food because there is still "healthy junk food"!

I decided to scope out the toothpaste section and with my sisters advice I chose one which the ingredients I was comfortable with. 

Over about the last year I've been using toms tooth paste which I love but even the ingredients list on that product isn't completely natural or free of weird stuff!

So today after reading many ingredients lists, I chose Earth Paste! I selected the unsweetened one to avoid sweeteners.

I was curious about this tooth paste and thought if give it a try! Afterall it is made from Food Grade Redmond clay!! 

It only has 6 ingredients in it! And you know how I like very few ingredients! So I'm giving it a try! 

I got a new toothbrush and everything just for this occasion! 

Check it out! Brown tooth paste! Can you handle it? 

I was warned that it doesn't foam up like regular tooth paste because they dont use any foaming agents but I wasn't sure what to expect! I think I envisioned my mouth to be all muddy feeling, like a mouthful of muck! 

But I was pleasantly surprised,the taste was minty and slightly salty but I didn't feel like I'd put a mouthful of mud in my mouth like I thought I would! It was almost like brushing with just water but there was more to it. I wondered if it would clean my teeth at all. 

But I have to say my teeth feel really smooth, like the after the dentist smooth! 

I think next time I'll try it with a bit more paste on my brush!

Pretty good for a product with only water, clay, real salt, spearmint essential oil, menthol, tea tree oil in it! 

I'm going to keep using it for sure! 

Day 1 - 30 Day squat Challenge

Here we go!

Today was day 1 of the 30 day squat challenge and we were set to do 50 squats today!

This morning we were packing up to go camping and I was trying to figure out when I would do my squats, when I got home I figured and then it hit me, why not do it right here, right now and get it over with.   So I looked out at the ocean, campers watching, holding my 16lb babe and did my first 50 squats of the challenge!

I was happy to have done it and got it out of the way before the day began!

Week 6 - 10 Weeks of Real Food Mini Pledges

Mini-Pledge Week 6: June 2 to June 8 – Do not eat any food products that are labeled as “low-fat,” “lite,” “light,” “reduced fat,” or “nonfat.”

Yep that's right!  I'm saying that low-fat or lite food is not REAL food or dare I say it healthy!

I too was a part of the low fat craze in my late teens and early 20's but when I read Michael Pollans book in Defence of Food I was shocked to learn that the whole low fat campaign was pretty much a hoax and no one was willing at admit that they were wrong and put an end to it.  

Here is a quote from his book:  "At this point you’re probably saying to yourself, Hold on just a minute. Are you really saying the whole low-fat deal was bogus? But my supermarket is still packed with low-fat this and no-cholesterol that! My doctor is still on me about my cholesterol and telling me to switch to low-fat everything. I was flabbergasted at the news too, because no one in charge – not in government, not in the public health community – has dared to come out and announce: Um, you know everything we’ve been telling you for the last thirty years about the links between dietary fat and heart disease? And fat and cancer? And fat and fat? Well, this just in: It now appears that none of it was true. We sincerely regret the error."

So let’s put the low-fat craze behind us and move forward by embracing the right portions of real food and real food only. No more faked low-fat products where according to Pollan, “fats in things like sour cream and yogurt [are] replaced with hydrogenated oils” and “the cream in ‘whipped cream’ and ‘coffee creamer’ [are] replaced with corn starch.” And just to be clear this pledge applies to all reduced fat products including milk. When the fat is removed from dairy products like milk some of the beneficial nutrients are lost with the fat as well.