MUG CAKE UPDATE

Literally, you MUST try this.  It actually tastes like you are eating your own personal cake.  No joke, its amazing.  The secret ingredient I have added?  Coconut Flour.

I use Bob's Red Mill Natural Organic Coconut Flour.  I got mine from Fresh Market but I'm sure you can get it at Whole Food's as well.  If not you can always order it online.

BENEFITS OF COCONUT FLOUR:
- Low in carbs (Net carbs = 3g, take total carbs - dietary fiber, so 8 - 5 = 3g net carbs)
- High in fiber, 5g!!
- Gluten Free

Coconut Flour also has a lovely natural sweetness because it comes from dried coconut meat.  Its such a light flour too, only 60 calories per 2 tablespoons.  The is super nice because, when combined with a scoop to half a scoop of protein powder, it ends up making a very generous sized mug cake.


So here is the new Mug Cake Recipe!
**Use 1 tbs for 1/2 scoop protein powder

- 2 tbs coconut flour
- 1 scoop protein powder (flavor of your choice!)
- 6-7 tbs egg whites
- 2 tbs vanilla greek yogurt

Thats basically the base of the Mug Cake! You may want to add more/less egg whites and greek yogurt depended on the thickness of your batter.  It shouldn't look firm like cookie dough, but it shouldn't be real runny either.  Somewhere in that happy middle :)  You can also substitute unsweetened vanilla almond milk for the greek yogurt or even cottage cheese or applesauce, and spice/sweeten things up by adding cinnamon, unsweetened coca powder, stevia, vanilla extract etc. to the batter.  AND the best part is that this mug cake is 100% guilt free.  High in protein + low in carbs = perfect night snack that tastes amazing too!

The "Cheat Meal"

Today was very strange.  I eat small meals, usually some kind of lean protein and veggies, every 2-3 hours and have so much lasting energy throughout the day.  But today something felt off.  I went to the gym and pushed through a workout which was:

- 10 minutes on the stair climber, 1 minute intervals speed 4 and 8 

- 6 x 10 walking dumbbell lunges

- 3 x 10 leg extensions

- 5 x 12 calf raises

- 30 minute run, incline 5 speed 4.3-6.3

I worked up a great sweat but afterward I literally just felt tired.  Not like the sleepy kind of tired, physically exhausted tired.  I was kind of freaked out at first, because usually once I get warmed up I have tons of energy and truly enjoy my workouts.  Today I just felt like I could make myself move.    Sometimes, after eating so clean and healthy for an extended period of time, your body hits what is referred to as a "plateau".  All your progress you have been seen for a while just kind of stalls.  Today, I believe I had hit a brick wall.  The problem: I had worked out hard for the past two days and my body needed a stronger fuel source then just chicken and veggies to rebuild and repair.  The solution:  The beautiful, glorious cheat meal. 

 

Let me explain how/why cheat meals are so beneficial being as brief as possible..

1)  90-10 Rule - basically you eat "clean" (nothing processed, greasy, fried, sugar coated, "unnatural", chemicals added..you get the idea) 90% of the time, and the other 10% you get to indulge in the foods you love the most, because hey, your human.  You would loose your sanity if you never got to touch a cheeseburger or pizza everr again.

2)  Your metabolism - Eating a cheat meal after eating clean for a extended period of time will literally kickstart your metabolism to a whole new level, allowing your to bust through any plateau and start burning fat and building muscle quicker then before.

This is a great page to learn more about all the science behind why cheat meals can prove as helpful for your training and how your body utilizes the calories you ingest during a cheat --- http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark60.htm

I have a cheat meal usually once every week and it is usually frozen yogurt.  I load up the toppings and Im set.  Today's cheat though, was epic.  I had gone 3 weeks without a scrap of bad food and my metabolism was showing it.   Slow and exhausted.  Perfect time for a fix.  My friends and I went to a local wing joint.  I had a chicken and cheese quesadilla, two pieces of buffalo chicken pizza (with ranch!), and a couple of fries.  Ohhhhh yes it was DELICIOUS.  But heck no I didn't stop there.  Afterward, we went to an amazing ice cream place called Cold Stone Creamery where I had oatmeal cookie ice cream mixed with cookie dough and cake.  Yes, pieces of actual birthday cake.  It was my best cheat yet.  I ate everything too fast to take a picture for you all.  Do I feel guilty? Nope.  Do I feel full? Yes, but it was worth every bit.  A cheat meal is perfectly okay once in a while.  Just make sure the size/frequency of your cheat meals are tailored to fit YOUR GOALS.  I work out 5-6 days a week, weight training and cardio, and I find that one cheat meal a week works best for me.  However, everyone is different.  Like I always say, please make sure you do your research there's plenty of helpful information out there.

Anyways, thats my rant about my amazing cheat meal tonight.  Im about finished sipping on my green tea, almost ready for bed, and 110% satisfied.  I cannot express how much better I feel.  Listen to your body everyone, its so important.  And no guilt!!  Tomorrow is a new day and with all those junk food cravings out of the way, you will feel more then ready to continue on your way to fit! :) 

Goodnight!   

Oatmeal: A How To

Good morning and happy friday everyone!  I am super lucky today because we had a pretty big ice storm last night and it was enough to close school today!!  Where I live, that usually never happens, so I was in a great mood, even before my cup of coffee.  Of course, I started my morning off with my oats :)

This morning, I made this: 

Ill call this Strawberry/Pear/Raisin Oats

real creative, right? Im sure you can guess the ingredients

HOWEVER, there is a secret ingredient that you probably will not guess and that is...EGG WHITES. Yes, egg whites.  Do not hate until you have tried it people, adding egg whites to your oats not only adds protein (an 100% essential part of a complete breakfast), but I find it actually changes the texture of the oats and makes them much more fluffy and pretty looking :)

So here's how I make my oats almost every morning.  I promise you, if you aren't the biggest fan of oatmeal, this will change you.  And if not, well hey at least you tried it!  Who knows, maybe after a while you will end up liking it.  You can always experiment with different versions too by making little swaps of ingredients here and there.

Olivia's Fluffy Egg White Oatmeal:

- 1/2 cup of Quaker Whole Grain Rolled Oats (sometimes I use 1/3 cup on lower carb days)

- 1/2 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Vanilla Whey)

- 1/2 tbs chia seeds

- 1/2 whole flax seeds

- 2/3 cup water

- 3-5 tbs egg whites

Since I'm a student and usually pressed for time in the morning, I just cook my oats in the microwave because its fast and easy.  However, you can cook oats on the stovetop if you have more time.  I just find it turns out pretty much the same in the microwave and its every bit as good.

Add oats, protein powder, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and water in a microwave safe bowl.  Give it a little stir just to make sure the protein powder isn't clumpy.  Pop it in the microwave for about 1:30, just enough that most of the liquid is absorbed up by the oats.  Then add in 3-5 tbs egg whites and stir those in really well.  Pop it back into the microwave for about another 30-45 seconds.  Keep stirring so that the egg whites dont all cook and the top.  You want to make sure the cook in WITH the oats.  This gives them the fluffy-ness.  Just make sure you stick to 30 second intervals because if you over cook the egg whites you get a kind of cake-like texture, rather then a creamy texture.  

Thats it!  These are delicious and a perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein and fat.  I usually top my oats with some kind of berry (strawberry, blueberries, blackberries, etc.), 1/3 of a banana, a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and Walden Farms Calorie Free Pancake Syrup.  If im feeling extra fancy ill add 1 tbs peanut butter or almond butter or coconut flakes.  It's all up to you!  Dressing up your morning oats is the fun part so get creative!  Enjoy!

Oats, Oats, Oatmeal, and Oats

Happy Thursday everyone!  So I've been thinking a lot about how to proceed with this blog so I figured why not share with you one of my favorite things to eat...and that is OATMEAL!  Now I know several people who love oatmeal, and others who are completely repulsed by the look, texture, taste etc.  ..which I'm not sure how because oatmeal is awesome but hey, not for everyone and thats ok :P!  I totally get how oatmeal can be very bland, BUT do not worry because I am about to convert all you people out there who dont like oatmeal, into oatmeal fanatics like myself.

First a little background info on oatmeal.  Oatmeal is a whole grain and typically is made from either rolled oats or steel-cut oats, and no, instant oats in those packets don't count.  Those are processed and its so much easier to just cook the whole grain oats and get 10x the amount of health benefits.  Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast food because it is full of slow digesting carbohydrates and high in fiber, which is perfect for controlling whats called "Insulin".  Insulin is a hormone which controls your blood sugar levels.  High levels of insulin lead to the storage of fat as well as potentially release cholesterol into the blood.

A SIMPLER EXAMPLE:  The world famous Krispy Kreme Doughnut vs. our bowl of Oatmeal.

Lets say you down two Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and a glass of orange juice and thats your breakfast.  Immediately, due to the extremely large amounts of added sugar as well as bad-for-you carbohydrates, you get a huge buzz (A.K.A - the insulin spike) then an hour to two hours later you feel tired and groggy and find yourself reaching for more sugary, processed food and the cycle continues all day.

Now lets pretend you had a nice bowl of Oatmeal. Oatmeal, as I mention before, if packed full of the good-for-you carbohydrates, as well as fiber, which keeps you feeling full and satisfied.  Since oatmeal is a "whole food" containing all these wonderful nutrients, your insulin levels stay down so you have all the energy you need to start your day, with no crash later.  How perfect.

That is just the basics.  And hey, I wasn't born knowing this so educate yourselves people!  Do a little research.  Theres so much great information.  I typically like livestrong.com as well as bodybuilding.com because they give you TONS of information on not only oatmeal but other foods and how they effect the body.

Stay tuned for my next post which will explain how to dress up oatmeal to make it taste wonderful and make sure you get allllllll those lovely health benefits out of it!
   

Valentines Day and A Magic Bullet

Most people get candy, chocolates, balloons, roses and what not for valentines day....and I get a magic bullet.  My reaction was one for the books let me tell you.  BUT its the thought that counts and I may actually be able to put this gift to good use somehow!  Happy Valentines Day everyone I hope you are all enjoying it!! :)

Here's a little recipe for a healthy Valentines Day treat incase your spending it alone..PUT DOWN THE CHOCOLATES and make this instead :)

This is my Valentines Day Mug Cake.  Why mug cake?  Because you mix the ingredients together in a coffee mug and eat it straight out of there.  So here ya go!

- 1 scoop protein powder (comes in a lot of flavors, I use vanilla)
- 3-5 tbs egg whites (enough to make a thick batter, it should look like brownie batter almost)
- 1 tbs plain or vanilla greek yogurt
- 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
- a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tbs stevia

Thats it! Mix those ingredients into a thick batter, pour it into a mug and stick it in the microwave for about 45 seconds.  It will puff up so make sure it doesn't overflow!  If it does just stop the microwave and continue cooking in 10-15 second intervals.  It should be slightly firm on the outsides but gooey on the inside.  Put a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk and Walden Farms Calorie Free Chocolate Syrup and its a done deal.  Guilt free and packed with protein.  I'll have pictures and the nutrition facts posted up a little later but depending on what protein powder you use, its going to be around 160-180 calories and about 25-35 grams of protein and very low carb.  Boom.  Mug Cake in a nutshell.  Don't hate until you try it I promise its delicious!!

A Cosi Experience

Hello everyone!  Yesterday consisted of shopping, shopping and more shopping, so yes, 4 hours later I was STARVING.  My mom and I were deciding where to go, when we came across a little restaurant called Cosi.  I had been there before but it was a long, long time ago so we thought "eh why not give it a try!".....Let me tell you.. there motto "Life Should Be Delicious" could not have been more accurate.  This place was AMAZING!

First off, loved the atmosphere.  Im always so picky about that for some reason :P but this scored a 10/10 for me.

And right up there was my beautiful mean.  This was DELICIOUS.  I ordered the Tandoori Chicken Salad but swapped the peppercorn ranch dressing for a lighter fat-free balsalmic dressing (woooo healthy choices!)  This chicken was perfect.  Im not sure what spices they used but it was wonderful.  In addition to the nearly perfect chicken was red peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion.  So simple and delicious and they give you this delicious piece of their "Signature Multigrain Flatbread" on the side.  Heaven. So. Good.

My mom ended up getting the T.M.B Melt - tomato, basil and mozzarella with a sundried tomato spread - all toasted and melty on their signature flatbread.  Heaven as well.

Cosi has something for everyone and YOU WILL, for a fact, not be disappointed.  Big appetite? Go for the flatbread pizzas, salads, melts, sandwiches, or their newest item, Cosi Bowls (please look them up at their website www.getcosi.com because they look literally to die for).  Or if your appetite is smaller, they have little appetizers called "Shareables" which are the perfect portion for 2-3 people.  And if your still hungry...I highly recommend the S'mores for dessert ;)

So the verdict? Cosi scored a 10/10!

Grocery List

Hello everyone!  This is a typical list of the items I get at the grocery store. I always like to make sure I have fresh, whole foods on hand so when I get hungry its that much easier to make healthier choices instead of pounding down a bag of chips.  Also its a really really good idea to prep food as well.  By this I mean buy a pack of chicken breasts, cook all of them at once and keep them in the fridge!  That way if your running late or not feeling like cooking, you can just grab that protein, heat it up in the microwave and your good to go.  You can also cook sweet potatoes, vegetables, fish...pretty much anything ahead of time as long as your keeping it in the fridge and plan on eating it within a few days.  Win/win situation! Saving time and money while staying healthy.  Some of the items on here are seasonal and you cant get them all the time :(  BUMMER!  but there is always alternatives.  Any questions about an item on here I'd be happy to answer!

- Spinach

- Broccoli

- Cauliflower

- Baby Carrots

- White Onion

- Red, Yellow, Green Peppers

- Green Beans

- Sugar Snap Peas

- Eggplant 

- Asparagus

- Spaghetti Squash

- Acorn Squash

- Zuccini

- Cucumber

- Green Peas (frozen)

- Brussel Sprouts (frozen)

- Bananas

- Apples

- Any type of Berries

- Pears

- Sweet Potato

- Mushrooms

- Black/White Beans

- Hummus

- Ezekiel Bread

- Low Sodium Rice Cakes

- 99% Lean Turkey Breast

- Chicken Breast

- Canned Tuna (in water)

- Liquid Egg Whites

- Talapia 

- Salmon

- Almonds (unsalted)

- Whole Grain Brown Rice

- Natural Peanut Butter/Almond Butter

- Green Tea

- Fat-Free Greek Yogurt

- Fat-Free Cottage Cheese

- Stevia (all natural)

- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

- Coconut Water

- Whey Protein Powder (I get mine at GNC)

- Chia Seeds

- Flax Seeds

- Quaker Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

- Unsweetened Almond Milk

- PB2

- Walden Farms Calorie Free Pancake/Chocolate Syrup

- Olive Oil Cooking Spray

And thats it folks! You want abs?  A 1,000 crunches will not get you them.  THIS will.  Abs are all about your diet and eating clean.  All natural, non-processed foods.  And the best part is, the more you eat them the more you will love them!  Enjoy! :)