Teresha@Marlie and Me has won the Jo-Sha giveaway! I hope that you will enjoy them!
I have a few great giveaways coming up, so be sure to check in often!
Welcome to my new readers! I so appreciate each and every one of you. Please let me know if any of you have any specific topics you'd like me to talk about. I LOVE reader requests!
I'm in the process of cleaning out my pantry and fridge. They need it badly. It's almost embarrasing, but part of life I guess. How often do you clean yours?
Here's the before photo of the fridge. I couldn't bring myself to take one of the pantry, it's that bad.....
The last of the birthdays for this month has come and gone! Yesterday was Nick's 21st. We all braved the snow and ice and went out to dinner. I usually cook their favorite meal and favorite cake, but since Nick was 21, he wanted to purchase ( well, us to purchase) an alcoholic beverage. We picked up Nick and Lauren and met Chase, Meredith and Madelyn at Chatter's. We made a reservation, but it wasn't needed. Not too many people out in this mess. Just so you know, we ended up with about 10 inches of snow with a nice layer of ice underneath. UGH! I don't like winter.
We had a great time and Nick loved his gift - a new tool pouch and his fave chocolate! He also got a Wal-Mart gift card. Exciting for sure. He buys movies like they are going out of style. So I'm sure that he will put this to good use!
It's so hard to believe that Nick is 21. It seems like it was yesterday he was running around the house asking for a bwana (banana).
Hope you had a wonderful night, son! I love you!!
I am going to attempt some stretching or yoga today. I have yoga paws and will be posting a review soon! My back is slowly getting better. Wondering if I should go to the chiropractor or just get another massage or both or neither..... Oh, the choices I have. :)
I am really missing my workouts, I haven't been able to workout since Monday. I'm thinking I'll take it easy over the weekend and then be ready for Monday again. I'm also missing my weights. Considering adding ChaLEAN Extreme to my Insanity workouts. More choices!!!
I had a reader request asking if I would post what I eat. Well, here is yesterday's eats. I had a good day with clean eating ( I feel that I need to be meticulous with my eating when I can't workout!). Some days are just as good others are a little more snacky. When I am working out hard with Insanity or P90X, I am just more hungry.
To start my day I had Shakeology. This is usually what I have every day for breakfast. Occasionally I will have oatmeal, but most days it is Shakeology! If you aren't familiar with Shakeology, check it out here. Lunch was beans n rice. I love having beans and rice. I know that I am getting my protein in and I use a brown rice and quinoa combo that is really tasty! I added red pepper, onion, Wholly Foods guacamole, Vegannaise, cilantro, salsa and mango! I did have a few blue corn tortilla chips on the side. I think I forgot those in the photo!
My afternoon snack was a corn muffin (from Alicia Silverston's Kind Diet cookbook - love it!) with some almond butter and polaner seedless blackberry jelly and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was made with almond milk and it was sooo tasty! I added a small spoonful of coconut creme to the top! So good!
Dinner was a stir fry salad. I just took whatever veggies I had in the fridge and stir-fried them in a little coconut oil. Served over spinach greens with a drizzle of "cheez" sauce. I made the cheez sauce from Ani Phyo's cookbook, Raw Food Kitchen and mixed it with a little water and nutritional yeast. I also added in a few raw sunflower seeds.
I was a little snacky in the evening, so I cut up a banana and added in a tablespoon of Nuttzo nut butter!
Nuttzo nut butter is sooo GOOD! It is a combo of valencia peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, flax seeds, brazil nuts and sunflower seeds. No added sugar and 50% of your omega 3's that you need daily! All organic and kosher. Another thing I love about Nuttzo is that they support ProjectLeftBehind.org 1% of the sales goes to Project Left Behind. If you are lucky enough to live in CA, you can find Nuttzo in many stores, if you are like me then you can order online!
I must make a confession. I am a chip eater. I LOVE chips. Any kind will do, thank you. I am on the lookout for great chips and I think I have found them. popchips! These things are GREAT! When I was in school ( many moons ago ) I used to love muncho's. Most days I would get the BBQ sandwich, muncho's and a drink. (Don't judge, I didn't know better....) popchips! are mucho better than muncho's.
popchips! recently sent me a cool box of snacking heaven! The family was all here for dinner and of course, they had to try them. I opened the plain ones and they were good. My father-in-law loved them and kept eating and eating them. The kids couldn't wait to try some of the flavors. Sour Cream and onion and Cheddar were opened right away. They are a hit!
Last night Brian and Jason came over to work out, since I am resting my back ( It is better by the way), I decided to eat a bag of chips while they worked out ( I KNOW!). They both loved the Salt and Black Pepper pop chips! Of course, they had to try them also.
I have Salt and Vinegar and BBQ left to try. I'm hoping that the BBQ will take me back to my old school days.
The Magic of Popping Popping is a way of making our all-natural chips. We start with wholesome potatoes, add a little heat and pressure, along with a little snack magic. And pop! It's a chip.
All natural. Nothing fake or phony. Our all-natural pledge: no fake colors, no fake flavors, no preservatives, no fluorescent orange fingertips, and no wiping your greasy chip hand on your jeans. No, really. We only use ingredients you can feel good about eating. And we leave out the bad stuff, like hydrogenated oils and msg, that give snacking a bad name. Because popchips™ brand chips have no preservatives, make sure to get a good chip clip after opening the bag to keep our popped chips fresh. Or better yet, just eat them all at once.
Now, raise your hand and repeat the snacker's credo with me:
We, the snackers of the world, raising our right hands out of the chip bag, do solemnly swear to engage in more recreational eating; to throw more popcorn in the air to catch in our mouths; to double-dip into the onion dip as necessary; and to spoil our dinners on a regular basis.
Thank you to popchips! for the sample pack. The opinions stated are my own and no compensation was provided.
I was working out Monday night at fit club and all of a sudden my back was just done. I mean D.O.N.E. I tried stretching it out, laying flat on the floor and nothing was helping. So, I just watched the rest of the group workout and cheered them on while grimacing in pain. I took some aleve and grabbed the ice and rested. Got up the next morning not able to stand straight and shuffled around as much as I could. So, I called Connie, my massage therapist. Luckily she had a cancellation and off I went. ( Jake actually drove me since I had taken a muscle relaxer, got to be safe).
She decided that it was probably my psoas muscle. I had to do some deep breathing as she tried to get the muscle to relax. She went in through my belly and I had to move my leg around and then the pain came. I broke out in a cold sweat, thought I might throw up all the while continuing to breathe deeply in and out in a steady beat. She finally got it to release and things settled down. I got off the massage table and I was able to stand up straight again. She told me it would be sore for a while ( she wasn't joking here people) and that I should lay off the workouts for a few days. I also can't sit for long periods and need to lay flat or be upright.
On to a better topic. Last night I was on facebook ( I might be a little addicted to facebookbtw.) and someone mentioned how cool the moon looked. Well, I couldn't ignore that so I went out to check it out. I tried to take a photo, but it didn't turn out so I will have to use one from the farmers almanac site. This is what it looked like:
It is called a lunar halo. It was really cool and I hadn't ever seen one. I checked it out online and it said that folklore says that it is an indicator of a storm to come. We are supposed to get all kinds of ice and snow on Thursday. It also said that the number of stars in the halo is how many days until the storm. There was one star inside the halo. I called my mom so she could see it and told her to be sure to tell the nephews to go out as well.
Most Mondays, I offer a free fit club workout in my home. I highlight one of the great Beachbody workouts and we sample Shakeology or the P90X Recovery drink and talk a little about fitness and being healthy! We have so much fun and I enjoy getting to spread the Health! I send out an email each week that highlights the workout we will be doing and I also include a healthy recipe. Most of the time, my recipes are vegan, but I have been known to throw in a meat-eater recipe. :) If you would like to be added to the email list, please let me know. It's okay if you don't live in my town, you can still find out about the workouts and get the great recipes. Email me at dana@missourifitclub.com to be added to the email list.
Today's recipe is Potato Leek Soup. It's been unusally warm here, but we are going to get cold weather this week again with the possibility of snow or freezing rain. Nothing warms me up better than a great bowl of soup!
Leeks give lots of iron-rich mineral nourishment while the garlic and onions add immune-boosting heart healthy benefits. This recipe is from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick Goudreau. It is one of my favorite cookbooks. I have so many cookbooks, it's crazy, but I use them all the time. I really enjoy cooking! It's a little crowded and messy, but that's kinda how I roll!
Here's this week's Fit Club Featured Recipe:
Potato Leek Soup - The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick Goudreau
1 Tbsp nondairy, nonhydrogenated butter (Earth Balance) olive oil or water for sauteing.
4 leeks, white and light green parts, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
5 large-size yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), pleeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
7 cups vegetable stock (store bought or homemade)
2 tbsp minced fresh tarragon,plus extra for garnish (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat nondairy butter ina large-size soup pot over med heat. Add leeks and onion, and saute for 5-7 mins, stirring often, until onion begins to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 min longer.
Add potatoes, vegetable stock (or water with bouillion cubes) and tarragon. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 mins or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork
Remove soup from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot or ladle soup into a blender or food processor, adding one cup at a time. Pour soup into a large bowl or ceramic soup container and continue until you have blended all of the soup.
Transfer blended soup back to original pot and warm over low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, with fresh tarragon sprinkeled on top if desired.
To leave the soup chunky, only puree half. For an easier time, roast onions and leeks before adding them to the soup.
Serves 8: Per serving: 250 calories, 5 g fat, 8 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 5g dietary fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 1437 mg sodium
Paired with a side salad and a nice crusty bread, this is a perfect meal! Hope you enjoy it!
This week's workout is Chalean Extreme! I love this one. It is perfect for gaining muscle! Muscle burns fat!!!
I am so blessed to be in touch with several of my high school girlfriends. Brian is out of town hunting this weekend (yes, I am worrying to death about him), so my girlfriends are coming to the rescue. Girls Night In! More fun than girls night out..... This is the guys dressed in their hunting gear. They kept saying they wouldn't show up in the photo since they are in camo.... BOYS!!!!
Mendy was kind enough to invite me over to her house for dinner on Wed night. Her family is just adorable and we had a lot of laughs as usual! Susan and Robin joined us and it was a mini-girl/family night!
I just got finished making cookies (not so healthy ones too) and portabello chili for our feast. Everyone will bring something, games will be played and fun and laughs will be had!
Portabello chili: Marilu Henner
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 large cloves of garlic, minced 8 oz. portabella mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped 2 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 (35 oz) can of tomatoes undrained and coarsely chopped 1 (15 oz) can of kidney beans, drained in a large saucepan
Heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.
Add mushrooms and cook until soft.
Add the cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, beans and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Serve immediately.
This is just one of the many wonderful recipes you can get over at marilu.com. You should definitely check out the website if you are looking for a great place to hang out and learn how to be healthy and meet some of the most amazing people! Marilu's book Total Health Makeover is what got me started on my health journey. I can never thank her enough!! Since then, I have read all of her books and own every single one. I refer to them often! Check them out at your local library or you can purchase them on amazon.com. Total Health Makeover, Healthy Life Kitchen, Healthy Kids, 30 Day Total Health Makeover, Party Hearty and Wear Your Life Well.
Is there someone that has impacted your life? Tell me about it! I'd love to hear your story
Do you tweet? I hang out on twitter for a while each day, atleast I try to make an appearance. I think it is a lot of fun to think of interesting things to say in 140 characters or less. Some days, I'm a little more "wordy" than 140 characters, some days I can say all I need to in a few words.
I recently had Jessica over at This, That and Your Blog re-design my twitter page. I think it turned out so cute! My little fit girl is there and of course, my favorite orange and blue background.
Jessica is a most patient person!!! She has helped me with my blog design, my business cards and now my twitter page. She just takes my ideas and makes them come to life! I LOVE that!
So, please stop by and check out my new twitter page and also show Jessica some love as well! If you are looking to have some work done, please be sure and check her out. She does an amazing job and is so affordable!
Thanks Jessica for being so sweet and patient with me :)
What is one of your best "tweets"? Be sure to share in the comments. We can vote on our favorite!
Mine would have to be:
motivational: I want to be a force of positive change in people's lives.....
workout related: If U wnt 2 achieve the best workouts, hit the gym in the morning. yr metabolism slows during zzz, so morning exercise gives it a jump-start!
funny: so it turns out I'm not very funny..... LOL!
After all that, if you still want to follow me on twitter, click here!
Keeping your yoga mats or gym equipment clean can be difficult. Jo-Sha wipes have made this so much easier and they come in several different aromas. These wipes can be used not only for your mat or equipment, but also for your hands or feet.
The wonderful thing about these cleaning wipes is the aromatherapy aspect. These wipes smell so good. Lavender is soothing, tangerine is uplifting and there are many scents to choose from. Jo-Sha wipes are all natural and I love knowing that they will not harm my body or the mat. They are also bio-degradable and naturally anti-bacterial.
I've been keeping these in my workout area and have thrown some in my purse and car. They are handy and easy to use! I use them on the yoga mats in the gym area and they are great! They don't leave the mats sticky, it dries quickly and smells so good and clean. The wipes are also handy in the car and in my purse.
The wonderful people at Jo-Sha sent me enough wipes that I can offer up a giveaway! I have a large pack of Lavender and Tea Tree wipes and sample sizes of different scents.
To enter:
1) Head over to Jo-Sha's website and pick which scent you think you'd like best. Come back here and leave me a comment.
2) Become a follower of Feeling Fit With Dana, leave me a comment
3) Tweet about this giveaway: @Danamoritz I hope I win the Jo-Sha cleansing wipes from Feeling Fit With Dana: http://bit.ly/5vIDCR
5) Blog about this giveaway on your blog, be sure to leave me a link
Please leave a comment for each entry. Winner will be chosen on Jan 30 by random. org. Winners will have 48 hours to contact me or a second chance drawing will be held!
January is such a busy month for us! All of our boys have their birthdays in Jan. So, we have celebrated Jake's big day and now it is Chase's day! Chase is 25 today. I can't believe that it has been 25 years now. It just doesn't seem possible. It seems like just yesterday that he was a little guy running around.
We celebrated last night with a build your own pizza party with the whole family and the required chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and cherry pie filling on top and then a wii tourney! We had a lot of fun, Chase opened his gifts and of course we all got to play with Madelyn!
It's all about Cars as we celebrated the little one's 2nd birthday. He's so into anything that has wheels (he's so amazed with all the cars in the highway every time we go out) but his favorite is Lightning McQueen. And mind you, he knows them all - Sally, Mater, Mack, Sheriff, Luigi and all the others (they all look the same to me!). He can watch Cars over and over and over again without getting tired of it.
So this time around, we got everything Cars that we can get hold off - balloons, banners, plates, cups, hats, stickers, toys, cake...it sure was fun yet tiring to throw a children's party but seeing Gabby and his friends (and even the oldies!) enjoy every minute of it was worth it :)
Today I am hosting a Beachbody Home Party for my niece Cassie who recently signed up to be a coach! I have a lot to get done before the party starts. Clean much? I think so! I need to eat a good breakfast, workout and clean, get organzied and get the giveaways ready. I think I should have started yesterday, but that is probably a post for a different day on my procrastination!
So today's post will be brief and about Beachbody! I have had so much fun being a Beachbody coach! I love my job! I love helping people figure out what workout they will like and actually do.
We are going to watch Beachbody Solutions, sample Shakeology and the P90X bars. We are also going to do a workout. Get out of those seats people, this is an interactive party.....
I'll be sure to take some photos, we are going to have a GREAT time!
Did you know that Pink is doing P90X? She has been in several interviews lately talking about her workout routine. Women's Health Jan/Feb 2010 issue on page 42:
You've been touring for more than a year now. How do you stay fit on the road?
Ever hear of (the workout videos) P90X? my brother and his wife are both in the Air Force, they do marathons and triathlons. I went to visit and (she was doing P90x). I couldn't keep up with her and she'd just had her first baby four weeks before. I was like, This is bulls***! I will perfect this thing! So, usually, I wake up and do an hour of cardio, then an hour of P90X or yoga, then a half-hour of warm-up (during show rehearsal). I do that six days a week.
Isn't that crazy? 2 1/2 hours of working out every day. It is paying off, she is in amazing shape!
I'm leaving you all today with a Beachbody video. If you see something you'd like, you can order at http://www.missourifitclub.com/ or email me and I'll help you figure out how to get started on your health journey!
I think my internet is finally fixed. I've been crossing my fingers, toes and anything else that will cross and holding my breath. It's been 2 days and no problems. Whew, it's been a week. Not only the modem and router having problems, wires were loose on the house and the lines were messed up somewhere up the street. I have to say that the A T & T technicians that came out were very nice and did a good job! I recently received a vegan protein powder by Sun Warrior. I've been using it and have to say that I really like it! I have used it along with my Shakeology to get some extra protein. I have been doing the PCRM's 21 day vegan kickstart and want to make sure that I am getting all the protein my body needs and Sun Warrior is helping! I also made protein ice cream and have to say it was pretty good. I made it for myself on Jake's birthday so I didn't feel left out when I didn't eat any cake!! I got the recipe from Peas and Thank You. Be sure to check out her website, she has a LOT of good recipes!
The ultimate anti-aging protein designed for athletes, body builders, and health enthusiasts. Ideal for those who want to lose fat, build muscle mass and be extremely healthy and fit.
If you are looking for a great protein powder that is plant based, you have to try this one! It so much better for your body than whey protein powders.
Smoothie Recipe:
This super shake requires no blender and is for people "On the Go" looking for a quick meal replacement (shaker jar required):
I have had a reader request to talk about how to stay motivated when working out and eating healthy. This is really hard and is so different for every person.
My best advice is to just do it! It takes 21 days to create a new habit. That is just 3 weeks. If you work out for 5-6 days every week for 3 weeks, you will have created a new habit that will be easier to stick with.
Get a workout buddy! It's more fun to workout with someone else. You will stick with it if someone else is counting on you. If you don't have anyone that will work out with you. Sign up for a free account at www.missourifitclub.com and I'll send out invites and we can work out together in the virtual gym. Even though we aren't in person working out, if you set a time and know that you have someone meeting you online, you are more apt to stick with it! If you sign up and want to work out with me, let me know so I can send you the invite. I work out in the mornings and again at 5:30 PM CT.
If you are trying to lose weight, then post a photo of yourself when you were thinner on your fridge. If you are looking at it daily, you will be more inclined to get those workouts in and not eat what you shouldn't.
Also, remember how you feel when you workout and eat right. You know that you are going to feel better, look better and even sleep better.
Keep a journal and a to-do list. You have to schedule your workouts just like you would any other appointment. Put it in your phone, set a reminder and get it done. Lay out your workout clothes and shoes so that you see them first thing when you get up in the morning. I do recommend that you workout first thing. This way you won't have something come up that will be an excuse not to workout. AND, let's face it. It's way to easy to find something else to do. Get it done first thing. You will have more energy throughout the day!
So in 3 weeks you can have a new healthy habit and be on your way to your fitness goals! I love having workout buddies, so get in touch with me and let's workout together in the virtual gym! You will have a chance to win up to $1000 or other cool prizes ( ipods, cameras and camcorders!) That is motivation in and of itself.
If you have any other questions, please post them here or email me directly - dana@missourifitclub.com!
I hope that my internet is back up today. They've been working on it all day. :) Keep your fingers crossed!
I just wanted to keep this day simple. Since the only person I really wanted to spend this day with isn't around, I didn't feel like having a big celebration. With my brother and mom's birthday on the 11th and 12th respectively, we already had our triple birthday dinner with the family at M2M at the Rennaissance (formerly the New World Hotel) the other day.
I don't usually take a birthday leave so I still came in the office. Good thing my work load today was considerably 'light' so at least I have a stress-free day ahead. It IS still my birthday so I just planned to have lunch out with my close friends at Shang, try to get home early and have dinner out again with my family. Sweet and simple.
It was already close to lunch time when one of my officemates called me and said that I had a phonecall (we recently just transferred seats and he was the one who now occupies my previous cube). I wasn't really expecting anyone but when the guy from the other line said that he's from the online shopping and that I had a delivery, I immediately knew who sent it...only one person never misses to send over something on special occassions when he's not around :)
I asked Ros to accompany me downstairs and as we went down the elevator, I can't help to control my excitement. I had a smile which grew bigger as soon as I saw it - what started out as an ordinary day turned into something special as 3 dozens PINK roses made its way to me...
Of course, being with him would have been the best present ever but this comes close enough. Being far away from each other really sucks but it has some 'perks' every now and then (I wouldn't have gotten flowers delivered to the office if he was here...hehehe).Thanks so much, dear! You never fail to make my birthday special, wherever you may be. I miss you so much! Love you! :)
I am sorry that I have not been posting. Our internet is having a bit of a problem, read: not working at all! I am borrowing a friends computer to let you all know that as soon as I get it fixed, I'll be back!
In the meantime, don't forget to eat clean and push play. Do a fun exercise today. Put some music on and dance around the house. Do some cardio house cleaning ( set the timer for 30 mins and get as much done as possible) or just play with your kids or spouse. This is a great way to get a little extra movement in.
Oh my Goodness, I got the best goodie box of wonderful products from NuNaturals. I have been in stevia heaven the last couple of weeks.
The NuStevia Baking blend is just great. It makes it so much easier to use stevia in baking. You just use it cup for cup in place of sugar. YIPPEE!!! I made peanut butter choc chip cookies. Can you say YUM????? These were a hit with everyone in the family. I used the recipe sent to me by NuNaturals (http://www.abouteating.com/)
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup of peanut butter (your choice, creamy or chunky) I used almond butter)
1 cup NuNaturals NuStevia Baking Blend or their MoreFiber Blend (I used the baking blend)
1 large egg ( I used a flax "egg" 1 tbsp ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp water)
1 tsp baking soda
I also added in a handful or so of chocolate chips!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Beat everything together well. Roll into small balls and put 1: apart on baking sheets. Flatten with fork in cross-hatch pattern. Sprinkle a few crushed peanuts, flax seed etc on top (Optional, but good) Bake larger cookies 11-13 mins, smaller cookies 9-10 mins. (Remember there is carryover cooking after removing from oven, therefore you may want to remove them when you think the are slightly underdone!)
The cookies didn't last very long around here.
I've been carrying the NuStevia Clear Stevia drops in my purse. It's so handy to have when I get some tea.
Several drops of NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia ( I didn't count)
Ice
Mix all of the above in a shaker cup and then pour over ice and Enjoy! I know that it is cold, but this is a great way to get more water in your diet and it is sooo refreshing on a hot day!
The other product that I have been playing around with is the NuNaturals Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract. This product has all the antioxidant power of a whole bar of chocolate at about the same cost, but without the fat and calories. It aslo is higher in levels of phenolics and flavonoids than Green tea, black tea and red wine. So, tasty. I have been enjoying a few drops in my oatmeal. YUMMY!
NuStevia is not bitter or powdery tasting like other kinds of stevia I have tried. They also have a NoCarb Blend. These are high quality, good tasting products.
I want to thank NuNaturals for providing me with these products to review. I received no compensation and the opinions are my own.
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It's so hard to believe that Nick is 21. It seems like it was yesterday he was running around the house asking for a bwana (banana). 
This is the guys dressed in their hunting gear. They kept saying they wouldn't show up in the photo since they are in camo.... BOYS!!!!
