5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues:

Let’s face it, Winter can be tough on us. It’s cold, dark, and sometimes even wet. So here are some ways to help us find that energy, warm up our bodies, and beat those winter blues!

1. Exercise: Yeah, I am sure you all knew that one was coming. There have been numerous studies done that prove that working out and getting your body moving can help you overcome a negative mood! Working out also can help us by getting our blood pumping and by giving us an energy boost! So, instead of sleeping in, get up and find a routine that works for you. And stick with it! Plus, you know what they say: Summer bodies are made in the winter! (You'll be so glad you conquered this one NOW!)

2. Eat Healthy: Eating the right kinds of foods can affect our mood in a positive way and eating the wrong kinds can make us feel sluggish, irritable, and just BLEH. When your body is being fed with fried, greasy, salty, and sugary “comfort” foods, your body immediately knows that it isn’t getting the right nutrients it needs to keep your body fueled properly. When that happens, our body thinks we are still hungry and then we keep eating, and eating, and eating without really ever feeling like we are full even though we are over-eating JUNK! This is why people tend to put on weight over the winter time. Who says that salads are summertime foods? Find a few staple veggies sides and some big ol’ salads that you enjoy eating and make them a part of your daily routine! Try adding Shakeology into one of your daily meals or snacks each day! It truly is a dose of daily dense nutrition!

3. Stay Warm with a Hot Drink: Coffee, tea, and even a glass of warm lemon water will really help you relax and embrace the cold weather by staying warm on the inside! Just be sure to not load your drinks down with sugar, and yucky liquid creamers (ok, confession: I didn’t used to think they were yucky and I used to drink WAY TOO MUCH of them! So if you are like me, please taper off the creamer and enjoy your coffee as it is, or with some almond milk and honey!). Look for non-caffeinated teas that have immune boosting power in them. Treat yourself to one in the afternoons.

4. Start a Countdown: Have a vacation coming up in the Spring/Summer? Start a countdown on your calendar, or find a countdown app on your phone! This is also a great way to keep yourself on track with #1 and #2 on this list! Keep yourself healthy and fit for those tank top and short seasons! They’ll be here before you know it!

5. Get out of the HOUSE: Yes, I said it. Don’t hibernate! Yes, it is cold and you have to get all bundled up like an eskimo before going anywhere. However, if you are stuck in your house, you might just go a little crazy! So find some fun places to go to. Go to the library, aquarium, etc. Look up places locally that are still inside and warm (and CHEAP!). This will force you to get up and shower and go somewhere (even when you just want to be lazy and stay in jammies all day!).

Don’t let Winter give you the BLUES!



Now, here's a BONUS Winter Workout found on my favorite place to find images: Google Images!

-Ashley

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Mmmmmmm..... Fries. Can we all just admit to loving them? Even if they are just not that great for us? I know I can. BUT, I have found a way to have my fries, and eat them too! Oven-baked sweet potatoes!

They are so simple and easy to make. All you need is some sweet potatoes (duh), extra virgin olive oil (preferably in a spray bottle like a Misto), and some black pepper and pink Himalayan salt. Thankfully, my in-laws had brought us a large bag of sweet potatoes the other day so we were able to make some! OK, without further wait... here's how you make them:

I used 2 large sweet potatoes, and gave them a scrub down. Then I sliced them in half and then into good size fries.

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I sprayed my stoneware with the olive oil and placed the fries in an even layer on the pan. Then I sprinkled them with the salt and pepper (hadn't done that yet when I took the picture!)

The oven was heated to 425F and I cooked them for 10 min on one side and then flipped them and cooked them another 10-12 min on the other side. I set the oven to broil for about 2 min to give them a little crispiness!

Don't they look delicious??? They were an awesome side to our meal of Italian seasoned chicken breasts and steamed veggies!

21 Day Fix: Chicken Veggie Stir Fry with Quinoa

 

 

 

This meal was soooooo good! We made this the other night and it was definitely one that will be repeated! And it went perfectly with my 21 Day Fix portion controlled containers to fit my daily meal plan!

 

Chicken Veggie Stir Fry with Quinoa

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 bag frozen veggie mix (preferably with broccoli, carrots, red peppers - Asian style!)

½ lg yellow onion, chopped

1 cup quinoa, dry

2 cups water

2 tsp coconut oil

low sodium soy sauce

sesame seeds (optional)

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa, cover and simmer for 15 min. In the meantime, heat skillet to med heat and add coconut oil. Add onions and sautee for 3-4 min. Add in frozen veggies and continue sauteeing for a few more minutes (until veggies are no longer cold). Add in chicken and season with a little soy sauce (no, soy sauce isn’t in the fix plan, so use sparingly!). Once heated through, use containers to portion everything out.

 

(Try your best to portion the chicken and veggies. Since they are cooked together, don’t go crazy trying to perfectly separate!)

1 yellow: quinoa

1 green: veggies

1 red: chicken


Are you interested in getting the 21 Day Fix in a challenge pack combined with Shakeology? Click HERE (on special this month for an even better deal)!

Have a workout routine already and want to use the color coded portion control containers to help your healthy eating plan? Click HERE to get the Portion Fix!

WOD Wednesday: Stability Ball - Abs, Booty, & Leg Workouts

Lately I haven't been able to do a lot of my Beachbody workouts full out because of a pull in my shoulder (eek... ok, it's my rotator cuff. UGH).  So, I have been experimenting with some other ways I can workout without it affecting my problem area.

This workout is one that will REALLY target your abs, booty, and legs. BIG TIME! Once you get through 2 rounds of this, your body might be burning just a little! But, keep going! Try at least 3-4 rounds!

Leave me a comment if you liked this workout! And come back NEXT week for another WOD Wednesday!



-Ashley

What does it mean to be BEAUTIFUL?

Beauty... What does that really mean? We, in our society, have a skewed view of what beauty really is. Look in line at the grocery store. Are "perfect bodies" (airbrushed and photo-shopped, as well as made up with a professional makeup artist!) staring you in the face making you want to cover up and hide in an over-sized sweatshirt?

Oh, how I remember feeling like that. I would compare myself to other women - and not just on the magazine covers, but people I knew in school, church, and other places I would go. I would think to myself, "If only I had her legs", "I know I will never look as fashionable as she does", and even worse when at the beach or poolside, "I WISH I didn't have so much cellulite like HER.". "I will never be able to be someone who can NOT wear a cover up.". How defeating. But I know that the way I felt isn't something that was exclusive to MY thinking. Why? Because, we are women who are constantly being told by the media, school, our friends, and who knows what else, that our self worth comes from looking a certain way.

I am here today to tell you that YOU (yes, you) are beautiful. You are a beautiful woman who God loves and who He created in His image. You are unique and special and you were made for more than to live in defeat and let this mindset overtake who you really are. You, my friend, are beautiful.

So, do I live in defeat still? No, not on most days anyway (hey, I'm not perfect!). I have learned to love my body. And I have learned how God wants me to treat it. Yes, I am about to talk about nutrition and exercise, but this doesn't mean that I am saying that you are still not beautiful just as you are. So bare with me for a minute.

God loves you. And He wants you to take care of yourself. Does that mean feeding your body with GOOD, healthy, nutritious food? Yep. Does it mean you need to be active and find some type of exercise to enjoy daily (or at least 4-5x/week)? Yep. Does it mean that you have to be a size 0? NO!!!! See the key here is to remember that everyone is a different shape and size, even at their healthiest! I never knew that my healthiest weight would be 118 and a size 2. I lived most of my life before this yo-yo-ing between a size 6-12 and anywhere from 135-160lbs! But I was never living a healthy lifestyle. But now that I am, I have maintained my results for over a year. WOW. Seriously, I can't believe that I haven't yo-yo-ed. I have a wonderful friend who went through a healthy lifestyle change herself and her healthy weight is 150. See what I mean? Healthy isn't a size. It is a way of life.

So if you get ANYTHING out of this post today, it is to know that #1. You are a BEAUTY. This might sound silly, but I want you to tell yourself this in the mirror everyday. Just look at yourself, flaws and all and say it. "I am beautiful."

And the other thing I want you to take away from this is #2. You are WORTH the time, effort, and yes, even money to invest in your health. I' m pretty sure that all of us can name at least 1-2 people in their family who have spent a lot of money on their health - but not in a preventative way. Heart problems, cancer, diabetes, all of these have one thing in common: expensive health issues that can and usually DO shorten your lifespan. So what is our solution to preventing this? Get a PLAN in place TODAY to keep yourself healthy for your family and for YOURSELF! God has you here for a purpose and it isn't to sit around worrying about your body while you don't take any action in making it better!

It takes discipline to make this healthy lifestyle change, and it also takes accountability, motivation, and a community of others who are on that path with you. If you don't have anyone or anywhere to turn to for that, you have ME! I am here to help you reach your goals and I want to help you get there. I have a new group through a private online facebook group starting each and every month and I have the tools that can help you, as I have been able to help countless other women find their "healthy". Click the link below if you are interested in signing up for my newest 21 Day Fix group and/or email me at betterfitlife@gmail.com OR message me on facebook HERE or HERE.

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM TO SIGN UP!



-Ashley

Healthy Mornings = Happy Day! (Cheesy Eggs!!!)

I remember when I used to fill up my mornings with sleeping in, rushing around to get ready, and eating an unhealthy breakfast bound to make me feel sluggish and tired the rest of the day! Those day, thankfully, are LONG GONE!

I know that a lot of people struggle with eating the right types of food to fuel their day. OR struggle finding ANY food to eat for breakfast (don't try to hide - I know you "breakfast-skippers" are out there!). After I had my daughter, I struggled, as most new moms do, to have the energy I needed to feel semi-normal and do a good job of taking care of my little one. It wasn't until I started to learn about the foods I was feeding myself with that I found how much that truly helped me (plus, it helped me lose that baby weight, too!)!

As I made my DELICIOUS breakfast this morning, it hit me. I need to share this! It was a quick to make breakfast and was super filling! Plus, I made my 2 year old's breakfast at the same time! (Can I get a "woop, woop" from moms out there?). We like to call this breakfast our "cheesy eggs" - yes, I eat cheese! (Check out at the bottom of the page where I explain my portion control system and it's color coded!)

I start with 2 eggs scrambled and a little bit of shredded cheese (think 1 tsp-ish. It's not a lot, but it's enough to give it a cheesy flavor). I have an AMAZING stoneware from The Pampered Chef that cooks eggs to perfection in the microwave in just a couple minutes!

While that is cooking I take a piece of Ezekial bread and pop in the toaster. Not too crispy, just warm and semi-soft! Then I take 1/8 of an avocado and smash up over the toast and sprinkle cracked pepper and some Himalayan salt.

Then, top the avocado toast (also a great snack on it's own, btw) with the cooked cheesy egg. And to make this complete PERFECTION, top with a few splashes of Chipotle Hot Sauce, or hot sauce of your choice. This hot sauce was from, believe it or not, Walmart! (Btw, I ended up flipping over the egg so the sauce was on the "inside". That made it easier to eat without burning my lips with hot sauce! Add a cup of hot coffee (no creamer or artificial sugars please!) with this breakfast and you are ready for your day! But don't forget to keep yourself going by eating 5-6x each day (every 2-3 hours). It keeps your metabolism burning! And don't forget the ULTIMATE fuel in your day, Shakeology as 1 snack OR meal each day! ENJOY!

And here's a peek at the portion controlled containers that I use! It is from an amazing program called 21 Day Fix! Click on the picture of the HERE to learn more about it and to check out the complete package with 21 Day Fix workouts and Shakeology!

Btw, this meal is equivalent to these 21 Day Fix portions: 1 yellow (bread), 1 red (eggs), 1 blue (cheese + avocado), freebie! (hotsauce)!




-Ashley

NEW group starting JANUARY 19th! Sign up TODAY!

Black-Eyed Pea Cucumber Salad

Happy New Year!!! Can you believe that 2015 is already here??? I hardly can believe it at all! I am excited for the prospect of what is to come in all areas of life: family, faith, and my coaching team! God is so good!


There are some superstitious things that we tend do do on New Year's day in the South and one of them is to eat Black-Eyed Peas! Do you know why we eat them on this day???

"There are a variety of explanations for the symbolism of black-eyed peas. One is that eating these simple legumes demonstrates humility and a lack of vanity. The humble nature of the black-eyed pea is echoed by the old expression, “Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year.” Another explanation is that dried beans loosely resemble coins. Yet another is that because dried beans greatly expand in volume, they symbolize expanding wealth." (read more here: http://americanfood.about.com/od/resourcesadditionalinfo/a/New-Years-Day-Tradition-Black-Eyed-Peas.htm)

 

Whatever the reason may be for you, the good thing is, black-eyed peas are good for you! Well, as long as you don't cook them in an unhealthy way! 

That brings me to today's recipe - a healthy black-eyed pea salad!!!

 

A few weeks ago was our little girl’s preschool teacher’s appreciation lunch and I wanted to take a yummy, healthy side. I ended up finding a recipe for a Black-Eyed Pea Cucumber Salad and just tweaked it a little. It was a hit! We loved it at our house as well!

Then I thought, this will be PERFECT for New Year's Day!!! And so, this is what we are eating for lunch today!!

Black-Eyed Pea Cucumber Salad

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)- I used dried)

Ground black pepper, to taste

4 cups English cucumber, diced

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed

2/3 cup red bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup cheese, feta, crumbled

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped

Whisk oil, lemon juice, oregano and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add cucumber, black-eyed peas, bell pepper, feta, onion and olives; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

*Can be eaten as a side OR on top of a bed of dark leafy greens such as spinach or kale or a combo.

PIN IT HERE: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/149533650103713859/

Enjoy and have a great first day of the year!!!

-Ashley