Top 3 Health/Wellness Buys of 2017

I am always on the look out for healthy items to add to my daily/weekly routine.  I look at blogs, YouTube videos, instagram accounts, and local health stores for items that would be worth buying and using regularly.
This year I have found 3 items that I use just about DAILY and plan to purchase OVER AND OVER!!  So I had to share!!!

#1 Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix

I think I first heard about these from a blogger.  I can't even remember.  I have been making my own healthy pancakes for years using protein powder, banana, oats, etc., but I am the only one in house that will eat them.  So I thought these might just be something I could make for everyone.  I was skeptical- because let's face it lots of 'healthy' products just aren't that great tasting.  I bought a package, which I found at our local Kroger, and made some pancakes for Emersyn... wait for reaction...
"Mom, these are better than the restaurant we go to!"
BOOM!!!!
I tasted them myself and holy cow they ARE actually good!!!  So let's chat facts and why they are so darn healthy.
You can make 4 small pancakes or 1 large waffle for only 190 calories, ONLY 2g of fat, 30 carbs, 5g fiber, and a whopping 14g of PROTEIN!!!  Can you even believe that!!!??
I normally can not have whey protein at all- but this is made of a protein blend and I have found that my stomach can handle this just fine! Yipppee!
So after finding this amazing product- I went out told my mom, sister, sister in law, brother in law, shit everyone I could :) and they all now use it!! So now I'm telling you all!! This is worth a try!

We use this mix a few times a week.  I make both girls pancakes on Friday mornings when Eme has no school.  Emersyn doesn't like syrup (not sure what's wrong with her) so I drop a few dark chocolate chips into hers and Rowyn just eats them plain.  I love making mine into a waffle and adding peanut butter and fresh fruit.
We love breakfast for dinner at our house so this is a perfect addition with our omelets.  Simple healthy meal!!!

You can use the mix for pancakes, muffins, waffles- the list goes on!!!  okay I could go on and on about how much I love this stuff but onward...

Product # 2 BCAAs

Back in March, I started a program to help lose my baby weight and on that program we were instructed to drink BCAAs.  Of course I had no clue what this was or why I was drinking it at the beginning, but I quickly felt a difference in my body.  So naturally, I shared with the hubby, we became a bit more educated on the benefits, and now we both drink this DAILY!!

Do your own in-depth research if you are interested in learning more facts- I'm going to keep this super simple because I am NO EXPERT!

What does BCAA stand for?
Branch Chain Amino Acids

What do they do for our bodies? 
 Saves Muscle while burning Fat
 Suppresses Appetite
 Gives you Energy
 Reduces Belly Fat
 Boosts Immunity
 Reduces Muscle Soreness

for more detailed information on each of these visit this super helpful website http://www.crockpotempire.com/bcaas-saving-muscle-while-burning-fat/

Okay- so YES PLEASE to all of those benefits.  I workout in the mornings, and I do so on a fasted stomach.  Gasp- I know!!! How do I have the energy to workout with no breakfast?! Easy, my body is use to it now.  I wake up, drink a cup of coffee, take my BCAAs in a water bottle with me to the gym and drink during workout.  It gives me energy to power through all types of workouts (lifting, HIIT, cardio, etc.)  Then I will drink another half serving throughout the day at some point with about 20oz of water in my YETI.   For my husband, it has helped with cutting out soda.  He will drink a large cup of water with BCAAs every morning and at night!

We buy ours off Amazon because you can select from lots of flavors but in a pinch I have purchase from Kroger.  I'm telling you I drink it daily and can tell a difference on days I don't.

Product #3 Collagen Peptides

What the what??  That's what I was thinking when this dang product kept popping up in ALL my health instagram feeds.  So I had to do some research to see what all the fuss was about.  Let's just say I liked what I learned... 

Sleep quality: Better cognitive function, a sounder sleep cycle and and less daytime drowsiness according to clinical studies shown here

Bone & joint health: Glycine speeds up wound healing and helps loosen up stiff joints

Weight loss: For every 2 scoops of collagen, you will ingest about 18 grams of protein. Try adding a few scoops to your morning coffee or drink to feel more satiated

Digestive aid: Aids in soothing and healing the digestive tract, as well as helping to repair the mucous lining. In addition, collagen helps to digest the protein and fat found in food, which leads to the body being able to digest them more easily!

Skin health: Ensures elasticity and regeneration of the skin. The amino acids that are found in collagen have been linked to anti-aging. A study in 2014 showed that women who took collagen peptides regularly for eight weeks saw a 20% reduction in wrinkle

Above info and more in-depth information can be found at the following website: http://themovementmenu.com/collagen-benefits-and-recipes/

I personally add 1 scoop of collagen to my morning coffee and 1 scoop to my afternoon match or green tea!  It really helps curb my appetite! 

OKAY!!! There you have it- MY TOP 3 MUST HAVES FOR 2017!!!

I would love to hear what your 'health' items are that you can't live without! I am always on the hunt for a good protein powder that doesn't leave me bloated, and I am really looking for the right supplements/vitamins right now for my body.

Here's to our healthiest year of all!

Friday Favorite- Protein Powder

 Protein powder is a great way to get extra protein in your daily diet.  I have always put protein powder in my morning smoothies.  However, I have noticed that my stomach hurt or felt unsettled after drinking a protein smoothie.  I started doing some research and discovered that Whey Protein can be quite hard to digests, especially for women.  Interesting!  Every protein powder I have ever used has been whey based.  This is when I went searching for a plant based, natural protein powder.  I came across Perfect Fit Protein Powder from the girls behind Tone It Up.  Their protein is gluten free, vegan, whey free, dairy free, and all natural.  In addition to being great in your typical smoothie, it also has the consistency of flour so it is great for using in recipes.

Let's take a closer look at the ingredients:

This is from a typical Whey Protein.

This is Perfect Fit.

You can see the difference!! The Perfect Fit Protein is filled with ingredients that we can all say and recognize.  The leading Whey Protein (which is what my husband uses) is filled with items that I can't say and don't recognize.  Are they bad for you?  Honestly, I don't know!  I don't know what they even are, but I do know they don't sit well in my stomach.

Okay- so I have completely switched to Perfect Fit Protein, now for my favorite recipe!

Perfect Fit Protein Waffle

1/2 banana mashed

1/4 cup egg whites

1/2 Tbs almond milk

1 scoop of vanilla protein

dash of cinnamon

-Mix all ingredients in a bowl

- pour into a waffle maker- spray with cooking spray first

After the waffle is finished, you can put whatever you want on top- syrup, honey, I use all natural peanut butter (ingredients read: peanuts, sea salt- nothing else!)  I little peanut butter with strawberries and there you have it!  YUMMY!! This can be breakfast but this picture is from a night when my husband was traveling and I made it for dinner.  It is so filling because of all the clean protein from the egg whites, peanut butter, and protein powder.

The Tone It Up website has other great recipes that you can use with their protein powder. 

If you are looking for a clean, plant based protein, this one is definitely worth trying!

Friday Favorite- Healthy Pinterest Meals

 Okay one more post on food- then I will move on!! PROMISE!
I love Pinterest- honestly who doesn't??!!  And I am just as guilty as the next with pinning tons of food ideas that never actually get created in my kitchen.  I mean who can resist- the pictures look so yummy and honestly I pin something in hopes that I will make it one day but who am I kidding.  I don't love cooking!! So unless it is ridiculously easy it will probably never happen- man I wish I had a live in chef!!  So I thought this week I would share my top pins that I have actually made several times and love!  All of my selections for this post are great summer meals, easy, and healthy!

DISCLAIMER: I just want to say that ALL of these food pictures are the direct picture that I pinned from Pinterest.  I think these pictures do the foods justice- trust me no one would repin my food pictures!  So if you want to see the direct recipe for any of the foods you can click the picture and it will take you to my Favorite Recipe Pinterest Board where you can go to the direct website for each item.  I will let you know if I change anything in the recipe (which I do at times to make it healthier).
Here we go:

1. Chicken Burrito Bowl- I had to put this one first because it is our FAVORITE!!  This is so easy and healthy, I make it just about weekly!  I cook the chicken with the salsa in the crockpot throughout the day so it is easy to shred.  Then once I shred chicken I add the spices- careful it can get spicy.  I think I normally do 1 less than they call for on everything!  I also put this on top of a mix of brown rice and quinoa.  Seriously, this tastes so fresh, it has replaced our trips to Chipotle for sure!!

2. Turkey Burgers-  I follow this recipe exactly as is.  We put these on the thin 100 cal. buns topped with lettuce, avocado, and/or anything else you like on a burger.  These are amazing- my hubby loves them!

3. Verde Chicken Enchiladas- YUM!!! Okay I don't normally love enchiladas and the store bought sauce is certainly NOT healthy, but when my sister made these for family dinner I was hooked.  They are delicious- however, I do make a few changes in the recipe.  The sauce you make calls for sour cream- anytime a recipe calls for sour cream I use plain greek yogurt! It is so much healthier and gives the same texture and creaminess needed!  This recipe also calls for avocados.  Now I LOVE avocados but they can be pricey and honestly you can not taste them all mixed in, so I opt to not use them- but by all means try them with or without avocados!  Use a healthy whole wheat wrap and you have yourself a very yummy healthy meal!

4. Honey Glazed Almonds- okay this one isn't a meal but I do make these all the time!  They are a great healthy snack!  I make a big batch and separate them into the small snack size baggies.  I have also added pecans to this mix!  Had these today! :)

5. Chicken Fried Rice-  I follow this easy recipe as is- I only make two healthy swaps.  Instead of Soy Sauce I use Liquid Aminos (found in the organic section of grocery store)- SO MUCH HEALTHIER and it tastes exactly the same, and I use a mixture again of brown rice and quinoa.

6.  Mexican Pizza-  This pin was my original inspiration but over time I have changed this recipe quite a bit- so here's my version.
Start with marinating your chicken in some type of mexican seasoning of your choice.  Cook chicken and cut into small pieces.  I use the thin 100 cal. whole wheat buns as the crust- just open them and build pizza on both slices or you can use a whole wheat pita- your choice.  First spread the crust with avocado, then layer on chicken, corn, black beans, cheese, and fresh cilantro.  Then bake at 350 just long enough for the cheese to melt and crust to crisp- normally 5 minutes or so!

Looking at my recipe board I really gotta try some other items more often.  Now don'g get me wrong, I have made others on my Pinterest board but these 6 seem to be ones I make over and over again!  Hope you find them easy, healthy, and most importantly- yummy!!

A Journey to Healthy Living

I would consider myself an overall healthy person.  I attribute that lifestyle to my mom.  I can remember watching my mom at jazzercise, taking walks, and simply living an active lifestyle.  On the flip side, I also learned the art of eating crackers and sipping on diet pop as a meal during a busy day at home or shopping around town from my mom too!  At some point in college, I started having really bad stomach pains and GI issues.  Having an upset, bloated, painful stomach started to just be my way of life, my norm.  Then it got really bad a few years out of college- basically unlivable.  So I went through a series of tests to find that I had endometriosis- which was causing most of the strong pains.  After a surgery to remove scar tissue from the damage endometriosis caused, I was hopeful I would start to feel better.  Better... YES, great... NO!  I still struggle with pains and an uncomfortable stomach most days.
After having Emersyn, I found that I have lost more weight than needed and I feel pretty sluggish most days.  Before I go for more tests, I am going to try this Advocare 24 Day Cleanse.  Basically, it is a 24 day challenge of eating only CLEAN- NON PROCESSED foods- no alcohol, dairy, starchy carbs, or sugars.  Once my body is cleansed from all the toxins and clean, I will slowly start to introduce foods and consciously take note of how it makes my body feel.  With that, I hope to pin point what foods work well for me and which ones to avoid or limit.  I will be documenting my experience here on the blog with weekly recaps of what foods I ate and how I am feeling.

Let's Get Started:

1. Once I received all of my Advocare supplies (meal replacement shakes, Spark energy drinks, fiber cleanse drink, and vitamins), I immediately organized it into days.  I wanted to make sure that I remembered everything I needed for each day and could just grab a bag each morning.

2.  Then I did my meal planning.  That's the thing about eating clean- it takes planning! I sat down and planned out my snacks and meals for everyday and then created a grocery list.  I put everything into my planner and printed the Advocare check list as well.

3.  When Emersyn napped on Sunday I did my meal prep for the week.  I cooked a ton of chicken in the crock pot for salads each day and cut up all my veggies and fruits for convenient snacks.

Stick with me if you are interested in eating clean.  I will share my food pictures, daily clean meals, and overall feelings throughout the next 24 days!  Here's to living a healthy, energetic life!!