90 Days to Thrival

Creating a global tribe of Thrivalists; people who want to use food, fitness and mindset to achieve their best body and life possible. Don't just survive, learn to THRIVE. Visit mythrival.com for inspiring real body transformations and weight loss resources.

[90daystothrival]

Low Carb Banana Flax Bread Muffins

Yes, I love banana flavor as much as the next gal, but i also know packing a recipe full of banana's is no way to meet my health and physique goals. Neither is scarfing down carb laden muffins, breads and loaves. My solution? Health it up and enjoy!

RECIPE:

 2 c flax meal (grind it when ready to use; don’t buy already ground it goes rancid fast)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp stevia or 1 Tbsp stevia glycerite (liquid stevia)

4 eggs, beaten

¼ - ½ c water

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

½ - 1 Tbsp. banana extract depending on how powerful you want the flavor

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl combine flax meal, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt. Make a well in the dry mix and add the beaten eggs, water and coconut oil. Stir all ingredients together. Let batter sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm in the middle. Don’t over bake – they will dry out. Let cool and enjoy.  Makes 12

Muffin = 211 calories, 16.5 g fat, 11.2  carbs, 7.4 fiber (3.8 IMPACT carbs), 7.2g protein

Thrival Counts per serving: 1 full fat serving, ¼ carb and 1/3 protein serving. 

Visit www.MyThrival.com for help achieving the body and live you LOVE

[90daystothrival]

The Best Low Carb Tortilla Recipe

Make your own Tortillas (then fill with proteins, veggies and fat options)

½ c coconut flour

5 Tbsp psyllium husk (nutrition store, WholeFoods or Amazon.com)

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

2 Tbsp grass-fed butter

4 eggs

1 c HOT water

In a medium bowl combine almond/coconut flour, psyllium powder and salt. Add the eggs and combine until a thick dough. Boil the water and add into the bowl. Mix until well combined. Let sit for 2 minutes until the dough gels up. Separate into 10 balls (about 2 inches in diameter). Place dough onto a piece of greased parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into circles of even thickness.  Heat a large pan to medium-high with non-stick spray. Once hot, place un unbaked tortilla on the pan (If dough gets holes from pulling it off the parchment, just use your hands to close up the holes with the dough) and saute until light brown, then flip and cook through. Makes 10 servings. 

1 Tortilla = Approx. 71 calories, 2.6g fat, 3.4g protein, 2.2g impact carbs

[90daystothrival]

Protein Popover

Protein Popovers (great for snacks!)

1 c Unflavored whey protein (or vanilla for sweeter popover- I have used Jay Robb and Jarrow protein brands )

2 c unsweet almond milk

4 eggs

½ tsp Celtic sea salt

4 Tbsp coconut oil or grass fed butter

Preheat oven to 425F. Grease small muffin tins with spray. Place the tines on a hot oven for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl blend together the whey, almond milk, eggs and salt.  Carefully remove the hot tin from the oven. Dollop 1 tsp of coconut oil into each hot cup and pour batter in until 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes at the 425F. Leave the oven closed and reduce heat to 325 and bake for another 10-12 minutes.  Makes 12-15

1 Popover = Approx 106 calories, 7g fat, 10g protein, 1.2g impact carbs. 

(Photo credit to Erica L - one of my current Thrivalists)

[90daystothrival]

Virtually Zero Carb Bread

Virtually No Carb Bread!

My name is Briana and I L-O-V-E a hearty grain bread - Yes, I am ashamed to admit I was a former addict one might say. Warm crusty bread dipped in garlic olive oil with red pepper flakes, who needed the rest of your meal when that slice of heaven was there for the taking? But with all my nutrition knowledge, desire to live a long time to be around for my beautiful daughter and my "lead by example" attitude, I had to find another way to get my fill without going against by health. Tada! This little baby was born from a drop of desperation, a dollop of love and a smidge of haphazardness in the kitchen. My suggestion is to let this loaf cool first then cut off a slice and broil or toast it until it gets that nice little crisp to its edges. I have enjoyed it with coconut butter, grass-fed butter, olive oil concoctions and most recently as a breakfast sandwich with sauteed kale, eggs and organic muenster cheese. Follow me on instagram for more food inspiration (some might call it food porn!)

The Recipe:

1) Beat together wet ingredients: 4 eggs & 3 tablespoons of water

2) Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl: 1 cup ground flaxseed 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup ground almonds (i used pecans on this one) 1/2 teaspoon salt

3) Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix well. Put in a loaf tin, cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. I also made another loaf and loaded it with fresh garlic slices and minced garlic! Yum!

www.myThrival.com to learn how to use food to create the body and life you love! 

[90daystothrival]

Low carb Mexican Thrival Style

Thrival-Dilla

1 high fiber lavash (instead of tortilla)

3oz  grilled chicken breast

2 Tbsp hot salsa or pico de gallo

½ oz shredded Mexican cheese blend

Handful fresh spinach

¼ green pepper, cut into thin strips

2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt

Grill chicken and green pepper. Cut  up chicken into small chunks. In a skillet, heat lavash on both sides until golden. Add cheese, spinach, chicken, salsa and green peppers to one side of the lavash. Fold in half and cover on low heat until cheese has melted. Plate and use Greek yogurt for dipping. 

Mexican Zucchini Fries

2 medium zucchini cut into ¼ inch square, 3 inch long sticks – like fries

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp grill seasoning

1 cup chili sauce or mild taco sauce

1 cup Fine ground almond meal

Preheat oven to 500 F. In a bowl add taco seasoning and almond meal. Mix well. Toss in zucchini and coat well. Arrange zucchini on nonstick cookie sheet. Spray zucchini with cooking spray. Combine spices and sprinkle over the zucchini fries. Place in very hot oven and cook 15-18 minutes. Serve hot. Top with spoonful’s o

Chile-Chicken Posole

1 pound skinless, boneless breasts, diced

1 tsp dried thyme

Celtic salt and ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove seeds for less heat)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-6 oz cans whole green chiles, drained

1 cup fresh cilantro

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1- 15 oz can hominy, drained

Sliced avocado and radishes for garnish (optional)

Bake lavash and cut into “chips” instead of corn chips

  Season the chicken with ½ tsp thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a blender, then add the chiles, cilantro and the remaining ½ tsp thyme and pure until smooth. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sauce thickens and turns deep green, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, hominy and chicken to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes. Garnish with avocado and lavash chips, if desired. 

f chili sauce or taco sauce. 

[90daystothrival]

Thai Food Thrival Style!

Oh boy could I put away some curry! There is something so inviting about crisp, bright vegetables covered in a sweet, spicy and tangy warm sauce. Some traditional and restaurant variations really pack on the calories with the full aft coconut milk and heavy oils. While fat is healthy, I still want to get a meal that has volume without blowing a days worth of calories in one sitting. So, here we go! 

Thai Vegetables

(Thrival Count: F + Veg)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced

3 large green onions, thinly sliced on sharp diagonal

3 cups thinly sliced bok choy (from 1 bunch; green leaf tops only)

  Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 20 seconds. Add bell pepper and mushrooms; sauté until pepper is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add green onions and bok choy and sauté until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

(I have added scrambled egg to this as a protein before - YUM! - and super quick)

Thai Chicken Curry

(Thrival count: makes 4 protein/fat/veg servings)

Curry Sauce

1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger

1 cup soaked peanuts, drained

1 cup fresh, finely chopped young coconut meat

1/2 cup coconut water

1 tablespoon raw almond butter

2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

Juice of 1 orange

1 Thai chile

1/2 head cauliflower, diced

1 small carrot, shredded

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded

1/2 large cucumber, peeled and cut into half-moons

Basil leaves, for garnish

Mung bean sprouts, for garnish

2 – 8 oz chicken breasts,

To prepare the sauce, finely grate the ginger on a ginger grater or fine grater to extract the juice (you should have about 1 tablespoon). Place the ginger juice, peanuts, coconut meat, coconut water, almond butter, Braggs, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, and orange juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the Thai chile to taste. Let simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Cut chicken into chunks and in a separate pan saute until cooked through. Add chicken to sauce.

Lightly steam (or keep raw for a crispy , enzymes packed meal)  the cauliflower, carrot, cabbage, and cucumber and add move to a large bowl. Pour the chicken and sauce over the vegetables, garnish with the basil and bean sprouts, and serve. Thrival count: makes 4 protein/fat/veg servings

  Thai Beef with Basil

2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 red chiles, thinly sliced, seeded for less heat if desired, divided

1 pound ground beef (96% lean or more)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups fresh basil leaves, divided

2 medium carrots, julienned or coarsely grated

2 scallions, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, gluten-free

1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

1 teaspoon sugar

Steamed “cauliflower rice” or “miracle rice” and lime wedges (for serving)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and 1 chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a spoon and pressing down firmly to help brown, until cooked through and nicely crisped in spots, 8–10 minutes. Add broth and 2 cups basil and cook, stirring, until basil is wilted, about 2 minutes. Toss carrots, scallions, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and remaining chile, 1 cup basil leaves, and 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Mix soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and remaining 3 tablespoons lime juice in another small bowl until sugar dissolves. Top “rice” with beef and slaw and drizzle with soy dressing. Serve lime wedges alongside for squeezing over.

   Photo credit: photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton

[90daystothrival]

3 Cuban Style Thrivalicious Meals

I realized I tend to post more American dishes, bread substitutes and "healthed-up" desserts. So as not to neglect my Latin lovelies,  here is a nod to Cuban cuisine.. love the spice, heat and robust flavors. Enjoy!

Cuban Style Pork & “Rice”

1/4 cup paprika

1/4 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons rum, (optional)

2 teaspoons minced garlic, plus 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, cumin

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops, (3/4-1 inch thick), trimmed, cut into cubes (can sub white meat chicken)

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cups cauliflower “ rice”

2- 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, (see Note)

16 large raw shrimp, (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined (optional)

2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, or cooked green beans, fresh or frozen, thawed

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips

  Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine paprika, lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, rum (if using), 2 teaspoons minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a homogeneous paste. Add pork (or chicken) and stir to coat. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork (chicken), leaving any excess spice mixture in the bowl to add later. Cook the pork (chicken), stirring, until just cooked on the outside and the spices are very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork (chicken) to a plate. Add onion and the remaining 2 tablespoons garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cauliflower “rice” and cook, stirring, until well coated with the onion mixture. Stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, saffron and any remaining spice mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes for. Stir shrimp (if using) and artichokes (or green beans) into the rice. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Stir in the pork and any accumulated juices from the plate; scatter roasted peppers on top. Cover and continue baking until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (if you’ve added shrimp, they should be opaque and pink), 10 to 15 minutes more.

 Makes 6-8 protein  + vegetable servings

Puerto Rican Fish Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound flaky white fish, such as haddock, tilapia or cod (see Tip), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (sub chicken or pork if you dislike fish)

1 -14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 Anaheim or poblano chile pepper, chopped

1/4 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons sliced pimento-stuffed green olives

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water, as needed

1 avocado, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add fish, tomatoes and their juices, chile pepper, cilantro, olives, capers, oregano and salt; stir to combine. Add up to 1/2 cup water if the mixture seems dry. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with avocado (if using).

Makes 4 servings

Per serving : 215 calories,  8 g Fat; 9 g Carbohydrates; 23 g Protein; 2 g Fiber;

Skillet Roasted Steak Strips with Pebre Sauce

Pebre Sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla

1 medium-large tomato, seeded and diced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced jalapeño, or serrano pepper

2 tablespoons red-wine or cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

STEAK

3/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 - 8oz New York strip (top loin) steaks, trimmed (can also sub chicken)

3 teaspoons coconut oil

2  avocado, pitted and peeled

To prepare Pebre Sauce: Place onion in a medium bowl, cover with ice water and let soak for 10 to 20 minutes. Drain. Combine the onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeño (or serrano), vinegar, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Preheat oven to 325°F.

To prepare steak: Mix paprika, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of steaks (or chicken). Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet, such as cast iron, over medium-high. Add the steaks and cook just until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the steaks 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash avocados with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Carve the steak into thin slices. Serve with the avocado and Pebre Sauce.

Makes 4 Thrival protein servings.

When you are done, don't forget to visit www.MyThrival.com to get more nutrition advice and a solid program for healthy fat loss. 

[90daystothrival]

Why Enzymes are Crtical for Health & Weight Loss

Digestive Enzymes: The 411

Enzymes are protein-like substances that act as catalysts for all chemical reactions in the body. Enzymes help maintain the body’s tissues, orchestrate its functions and digest food. There are three kinds of enzymes:

Metabolic Enzymes — spark many of the reactions inside cells, enabling our organs, tissues, and cells to work properly.

Food Enzymes — supplied by what we eat, they help break down food before our digestive enzymes are called upon. The majority of food enzymes are destroyed at temperatures above 118ºF, so nearly all cooked and processed foods are devoid of them.

Indigenous Digestive Enzymes — secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine, they break down the nutrients in the foods we eat that have not already been broken down by food enzymes.

Enzymes are perhaps our most important and overlooked dietary component. Before the advent of modern food processing, we ate a diet that was rich in “live” raw and fermented foods. These foods contained many of the food enzymes that our diet lacks today. Food enzymes aid in the digestion of food. Without them, the body must produce more digestive enzymes to break down the nutrients in the food we consume.

A great way to get the enzymes you need is to consume a diet high in “live” raw and fermented foods, and/or to supplement your diet with digestive enzymes.

Digestive enzymes are absolutely essential to life. Digestive enzymes allow the human body to absorb nutrients from foods. These enzymes are normally secreted from the pancreas. The enzymes work as catalysts to the cell processes that break down proteins. In order for any chemical process in the human body to take place, enzymes must first lower the amount of energy it takes to start the process. By lowering the activation energy required to begin the chemical process, enzymes allow each process to occur an extremely elevated rate. Without these enzymes, chemical processes would be too slow to have any effect. So, without enzymes the human body would not be able to sustain any life.

When many different types of enzymes work together to create a succession of chemical processes, it is called a metabolic pathway. The digestive tract is an example of such a metabolic pathway. Many different types of enzymes, each specifically designed to start chemical processes in certain cell types, work together to start each chemical process that allows the digestive tract of the human body to break down proteins and absorb nutrients. This digestive process begins in the mouth and travels all the way to the end of the digestive tract. Any problems with these digestive enzymes can lead to digestive conditions and difficulties in obtaining sufficient amounts of nutrients from foods. Artificial digestive enzymes can be prescribed for people with digestive difficulties to aid in the digestion process.

There are three types of digestive enzymes, Amylases break down carbohydrates, Lipases break down fats and the Proteolytic enzymes digest proteins. A health care professional can prescribe digestive enzymes to help anyone who may have a type of disorder that limits their body’s ability to absorb nutrients. This can include problems like pancreatic cancer, Chron’s disease and Celiac disease. Because these enzymes alter the body’s function they often have side effects. These side effects are often seen in the first few days of taking them. Most of these are temporary and are digestive tract and stomach related. Side effects of digestive enzymes may include: stomach pain, nausea, appetite problems, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. Other side effects may involve other parts of the body in forms such as headaches, fatigue and dizziness.

It is important to report side effects to the prescribing doctor to make sure there are no signs of a more serious problem and to make sure that the problems do not get any worse. Another common side effect of these types of enzymes can be a reducing of natural lipases. This occurs because the enzymes destroy them. This can result in a difficulty in breaking down fats. There may also be some negative drug interactions. People taking any form of anticoagulants should be especially careful. As with any form of supplements or medical prescriptions, it is important to discuss the risks and rewards with a health care professional. The proper dosage of digestive enzymes is important, as is the specific types of digestive supplements that should be used. This is another important reason to consult with your doctor. Digestive enzymes are generally a safe way to help the body break down foods

Did you know that each enzyme has a particular job? That is why taking a full-spectrum enzyme with food is important. For instance, a "lipase" enzyme can't break down the  protein in your chicken but it can breakdown the fat in your avocado. Here are some enzymes and their duties to give you a better idea. Don't get caught up on memorizing them, just know if you are taking Complete Digestion with your food, then you are ahead of the curve! 

Protease blend of five proteolytic enzymes aids digestion and utilization of dietary proteins† 

Amylase digests starch†

Lipase digests fats†

Glucoamylase breaks down starch-like carbohydrates †

Malt diastase (maltase) digests maltose based carbohydrates or malt found in grains† 

Invertase (sucrase) is an enzyme that breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose †

alpha-Galactosidase helps digestion of difficult-to-digest foods such as beans, legumes and cruciferous vegetables†

Lactase digests the milk sugar lactose† 

Cellulase digests fiber cellulose into smaller units† 

Xylanase breaks down xylose, also called wood sugar† 

Pectinase breaks down carbohydrates such as pectin, found in the pulp of many fruits† 

Hemicellulase breaks down carbohydrates widely present in plant foods† 

Phytase breaks down phytic acid present in many difficult-to-digest grains and beans. Research supports the view that phytic acid present in plant foods interferes with digestion of proteins and utilization of many important minerals, such as zinc, magnesium, and iron †

Beta-glucanase breaks down bulky beta-glucan molecules into smaller units †

Bromelain, derived from pineapple, breaks down a broad variety of proteins †

Papain, derived from papaya, also digests proteins into peptides and amino acids† 

[90daystothrival]

Yogurt Shake Mom & Kids LOVE

[90daystothrival]

JENNY CRAIG, Weight Watchers & Medi-Weight Loss... Killing Us.

JENNY CRAIG, Weight Watchers & Medi-Weight Loss..Everything that is wrong with Americans…and the mentality that is slowly killing us. 

By Briana Michel, HOLISTIC NUTRITION Coach and Creator of 90 Days to Thrival

JENNY CRAIG, Weight Watchers and Medi-Weight Loss… Everything that’s wrong with America

I’m going to tick off a lot of die-hard JENNY CRAIG (JC) and Weight Watcher (WW) fans on this blog but after hands on experience with both companies, their programs and philosophies I don’t feel I am speaking out of turn. We claim as a society we need to get healthier and YES we desperately do. So we are enticed by these sunshine commercials with styled celebrities and are reminded again and again we can eat what we want and still lose weight. I have a MAJOR problem with this. If what you continually want is loaded potato skins, pizza, chocolate bars and cheeseburgers, then you have yet to learn the importance of HEALTH, immunity, mental clarity, longevity, vitality and disease prevention. Our focus and priorities are so far out in left field.  We are literally dying to be skinny. Some will argue with me it is more deadly to keep the fat on than it is to diet in an unhealthy manner to get the fat off. Partially true. But this shouldn’t be the tradeoff. Why do we need to mistreat ourselves just to get the fat off right now? Why can’t we learn what REAL food is, how we feel when we eat for health instead of just quick weight loss? Why can’t we enjoy treating ourselves to healthy food and moving more each day?  Why does it need to be a struggle, miserable, temporary or unhealthy process? But the diet industry is exactly what is wrong with our cultural mindset. We should be learning how to thrive with food so it serves our body and all we ask it to do. So that it makes us function better and feel great…and not serve as momentary indulgences and binges that lead to guilt and yo-yoing weight.

Let’s take for instance WEIGHT WATCHERS – eat anything as long as you stay within your points. Um… so I can have a glass of wine, a slice of pizza, sugar-free Jell-O and a donut all day and be in my points and BAM- success! Hardly!  Do I even need to explain the pure insanity of that? We may lose weight initially by sheer caloric restriction, but the quality of our food is directly related to the quality of our life. I understand WW may post healthier recipes, encourage vegetables and the like, but all-in-all their message is clear – eat what you want and still lose weight.

When I was a sophomore in college, I suffered a volleyball career ending shoulder injury that left me on the sidelines and without my athletic scholarship. My weight was at a point that I had never been growing up and I was frightened by this new sense of losing control. I wanted a fresh start. I transferred schools and joined weight watchers.  First off, I later came to learn that my weight was already within the normal “healthy range” for my height and so technically, a representative later told me, I should have been turned down from participation in the meetings. I was young and naïve. I was incredibly diligent about following my points program. I even gave up chewing gum because I didn’t want the extra calories. I was discouraged from weight lifting (which I had been doing since I was 13 years old – and we all know muscle actually requires more calories at rest, boosting metabolism and there are a million other reasons like bone density and skin elasticity to train with weights – so discouraging it seems assigning to me!) because they said it would interfere with my weigh-ins each week. We got cheesy colored stars for our little weigth tracker booklets when we hit certain milestones and the larger women in the group were angry I didn’t have 50+ lbs to lose. My argument was shouldn’t I be commended for nipping it in the bud before it got out of control? They didn’t think so. I was an outsider from the beginning. I became obsessed with the weigh-ins; making sure I went to the bathroom several times in the hours leading up to the meetings and limiting my water intake those days (STUPID!).  It became about beating the weigh-ins and not necessarily what we all did the other 6 days of the week. My diet consisted of tuna with yellow mustard, chicken with yellow mustard, carrots and cucumbers with you guessed it… yellow mustard – so it didn’t have the sugars of other sauces, 45 calorie bread and lord knows what else since I have done a good job of blocking a lot of that time period out. I stopped lifting as much and took up running. I lost muscle… I also became less social. It was not a healthy lifestyle – I was “points” and scale driven and didn’t have a great understanding of truly nourishing my body – because no one ever talked about that in meetings!

It was all about the weigh-ins as a complete measure of success. We didn’t talk about a healthy mindset or why we gained weight to begin with. It was mostly people talking about what new processed foods they found on store shelves that were low in points so they could eat more of them… yippy..? Not quite!

Eventually I became underweight for my height range and they still allowed me to attend meetings.  However the backlash from fellow attendees those who were not so “successful” made me want to leave on my own.  I realized I wanted to really learn more about healthy eating and not living by the scale. I wanted a life of quality not chemical laden “diet” foods.  Don’t go yelling at me if you are a WW success story… some people take a healthier approach and understand they want to choose more whole foods not just stay in the points. I am not saying WW isn’t effective for weight loss. I am saying there may be a healthier message and system to be delivered instead of “eat what you want.” We should “want” the good for us food and the mindset that comes with that!  

Fast forward many moons to a stint I had in another state. I was already growing a successful personal training and nutrition business when I had to leave Florida for 6 months to help with family. I didn’t have time to start another business from scratch and knew I wouldn’t be there long enough to support private clients if I had a business in the new state, so I took a Diet Consultant position with Jenny Craig. Oh… the horror! It went against pretty much EVERYTHING I believed other than being over fat is not a good thing. I wasn’t sure if I was more floored by just how awful the ingredients were in their prepackaged foods or the way their internal educational materials “pitched” the ingredients to reps as naturally occurring like MSG (a neurotoxin!) or just how cheery they made high fructose corn syrup and trans fats sound… like it was no big deal to have people living on these 3-5 times a day for weeks or years on end. When your dinner can sit on a shelf in a tiny cardboard box for months and all you need to do is add water and nuke… yeah…that can’t be good for you! That is “Oh Sh@t the Apocalypse is coming I must sustain myself on rations” kind of junk – not food that will help you feel good and prevent disease. They allowed for as much diet soda and sugar free Jell-O as your little heart desired. The people I worked with actually asked me nutrition advice on a daily basis; there seemed to be a general lack of knowledge about weight loss outside of the JC prepackaged meals.

One of my fellow “counselors” was 316 pounds! And she was scolding people weighing in at only 140 lbs for not drinking enough water or completing their food journals! Who is going to listen to someone who cannot get their own issues under control? Hardly a walking billboard for “Jenny Craig works as a sustainable lifestyle” now is it? They actually assigned this co-worker to me as a mandatory client. Needless to say that did not make me the most popular new gal on the block! She would go eat drive-thru food and THEN ALSO eat JC prepackaged meals. When I was at the corporate training in Nashville, even the trainers would ask me about the foods I was eating (since I refused to try the JC foods) and how I stayed lean. I would walk to the grocery store on breaks instead of opening a box or bag of JC garbage.   Those employees did this for a living for years and not one of them had a body or lifestyle I envied! They did not exude health, energy and vitality.

JC reps make commission on the food they sell. Do you know why I didn’t make a lot of money there? Not because I didn’t have loads of clients (many often jumping ship from other counselors to come see me because I looked and spoke the part of someone who cared about a truly healthy lifestyle), but because my goal was to get them OFF the JC foods as quickly as possible. I was a horrible corporate employee. I couldn’t relay some of their information because I knew in my heart I couldn’t promote some of their tactics. I also never tasted the food because after in-depth inspection of all the ingredients, there wasn’t a single meal or snack I was OK with putting in my body! Clients would ask me “what’s your favorite” or “which one of these two do you like best” and I would answer “such and such is most popular” or “I have a client that can’t get enough of (fill in the blank)”, but could not tell them from my own experience. This was killing me. How could I act happy and encourage others to do something I wouldn’t do myself, that I knew in my heart of hearts was not fueling their good health or teaching them truly sustainable weight loss. They were dependent on the “foods”. So many of them were “lifers” – they would fall off the wagon then come back months or years later to pick up some food items (usually desserts, bars and a meal or two) because yes – substituting a JC dessert at night  for their usual binges MUST be the answer to their massive weight gain and failing health! (insert eye roll!) We had people proud they were grandfathered in under a certain member discount… and what I wanted to say is YOU SHOULDN’T STILL BE HERE after 10 years! It was driving me mad. I had to get out. I wish I could apologize to every person I handed a bag of that nasty non-food too. But most of them knew my motives were to teach them other ways to be healthy and lose the fat.

Fast forward another couple of years and I am back in Florida banging my head against the wall at these medi-weight loss clinics and HCG diets! How is this not malpractice?! You don’t teach people how/what to eat for sustainability of the weight loss. You pump them full of drugs and false hope.  MANY become malnourished and RUIN their adrenals… then they end up at my door and I get to try to undo ALL the damage (both physically and emotionally) these money hungry ignorant “doctors” do. Just putting someone on a 500-calorie a day diet doesn’t fix the reason they mentally got to a place that allowed them to disconnect from treating their body and mind well. Five hundred calories is not a way to live with energy for work, children, fitness or great brain activity. Five hundred calories doesn’t give you room to pack in a lot of nutrients. HCG has been linked to higher rates of cancers like breast cancer – it is a HORMONE that changes the environment in your body. Do you know how many clients have come to me and said they have taken Doctor prescribed appetite suppressants? INSANITY! Those things are legalized cocaine/speed! When was the last time a healthy nutrition plan could keep you awake for 36 hours and give you heart palpitations…NEVER! When are we going to stop desperately seeking a quick fix in the form of a box, pill or shot? When are we going to understand that life should be about THRIVING…not vanity and merely surviving?  

I have yet to come across anyone who has kept the weight off or had a healthy post-medi weight loss relationship with food. In fact, most gain even more weight from when they started and now their metabolism is so twisted their bodies won’t respond to normal nutritional changes for sustainable weight loss. It takes a lot of healing after those dangerous methods.

Then there is the issue of the example we set. Our kids see mommy and daddy  “on a diet.” They see us huff and puff to keep up. They see us sitting on the sidelines too exhausted and out of shape and YES, they absolutely overhear us making self-effacing comments. They start to believe their self-worth is tied to the scale. That we eat to cheat the Diet Gods and not to truly nourish our body and mind. That fast food is a reward for a job well done or a prize for being brave at the doctor’s office. Your child is WATCHING and LEARNING.Who are you creating…? Are you setting them up with the tools for healthy living success or the same miserable path you may be blaming your own upbringing on?

Why do so many people believe they can’t LOSE THE WEIGHT with good nutrition and solid support? This is exactly why I created 90 Days to Thrival™. But the challenge is getting people to understand this isn’t a DIET…this is an education and way you continue to eat and treat yourself for the rest of your life. The side effect of learning to eat well and pairing that with making other simple healthy changes little by little is FAT LOSS…and quite effective fat loss at that!

Thrival helps you make progress and opens your mind to new foods, eating styles and living life energized from nature and from within; not from chemicals. I had someone recently tell me that when people ask how she lost 30lbs and she told them Thrival eating…their eyes glazed over, but when she said her enzymes were making a difference in her metabolism people perked up and wanted to know more. She told me I should emphasize the pills on the program to get people’s attention. And the funny thing is to get people’s attention I almost have to! That makes me sad. While I do believe enzyme therapy is a super start of health and drastically under talked about in the US, it pains me that people don’t realize that our body creates digestive enzymes every time we eat and metabolic enzymes are responsible for life itself. They think it’s a quick fix pill and boy o’ boy does that sound enticing! Do you know those pills are packed with natural enzymes that are responsible for helping us get the most out of our nutrition, digesting our food better and diminishing symptoms of food intolerances? They can be quite amazing and immediately beneficial. As far as I am concerned everyone should implement enzymes therapy…but the funny part is people don’t care to ask why or what they are actually putting in their body…they just want me to give them the “pills.” They aren’t magic WEIGHT LOSS PILLS they are supportive and therapeutic supplements to help assist your body in nutrient assimilation and free up energy for your body to do all the other million miraculous jobs it has to do each day…like breathing, walking, talking, dreaming, you know…LIVING! It just makes me sad to think we perk up to the thought of supplements but an organic delicious, fresh nourishing meal that gives us hours of clean energy and can squash diseased cells, boost immunity, assist in bone health, build muscles and so on bores people.

I have lost loved ones to cancer and it seems a rash of new diagnoses have been going on around me. Our food chain is horrifyingly damaged, our soil is nutrient replete, we are surrounded by plastics and chemicals in our food, makeup, hygiene products, household CLEANERS, clothing, and so on. Our air quality is poor, our public water supply should practically glow at this point and sitting down as a family to a healthy meal and conversation is a luxury not a common occurrence. When will we wake up and stop the utter insanity? Take back control of what we can. Take our lives back to simple roots where food was from local farm-to-table, family was the most precious thing you could own and nothing was more important than connecting to people, getting fresh air, feeling your bare feet in the grass and the sun on your face; and having memories and experiences to cherish.

We need to fuel the lives we want…create a journey we can be proud of and leave a legacy our children can feel honored to be a part of. Think of these things before you CONTINUE to mistreat yourself. Step outside of the self-loathing microcosm you have created and open your eyes to the bigger picture. You can live your best life. We might not be able to control what goes on around us or the cards we are always dealt…but we can control what we do each day and what we put into our body to give ourselves the best fighting chance on longevity and vitality.  

STOP DIETING. START THRIVING.

www.MyThrival.com

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Holy Guacamole - 10 Recipes to Swoon Over!

To read why the avocado deserves mad respect for those wanting to build a healthier, leaner body click here. Now on to the creamy, mouthwatering Guac recipes you can't wait to dip into!

(some recipes adapted from "Everyday with Rachel Ray" others concocted by Briana Michel)

Keepin' it Simple

Everyone loves a classic from cars to movies, the classics have beauty in their simplicity - came with guacamole. 

Mix diced avocado + diced tomato (sometimes I cheat and but the fresh deli made pico de gallo at the supermarket since it cuts out a few steps) + finely chopped onion + cilantro + jalapeno + squeeze of lime + TINY pinch of sea salt. 

Mango Mama

Mix mashed avocado + diced fresh ripe mango + a dash of orange juice + diced red chiles + finely chopped scallions

It's All Greek to Me

Mix mashed avocado + reduced fat feta cheese + dill + finely chopped olives + diced cucumbers

Eggcado

Mix diced avocado + chopped hard-boiled egg + red onion + touch of dijon mustard + cayenne powder + touch of mayo

Asian Flare

Mix mashed avocado + wasabi paste + sesame oil + rice wine vinegar + gluten-free soy sauce. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and an optional side of pickled ginger. 

Seven Layer

Mix mashed avocado + black beans + diced cheddar and tomato + chopped pickled jalapeno + sliced black olives + lemon juice + dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top. 

Pom-Pecan

Mix mashed avocado  + lime juice + pomegranate seeds + chopped pecans + garlic powder + shallots

ChickPeacado

Mix pureed avocado + garbanzo beans (chickpeas) + tahini + cayenne pepper + EVOO.

Rustic BBQ

Mix mashed avocado + Stubbs original BBQ sauce + a little bit of  white corn + roasted garlic cloves

Italian Chicken

Mix mashed avocado + slow cooked chicken cut in small chunks + dried Italian herb mix + garlic powder + fresh basil + oregano

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Awesome Avocado Benefits

Love them? Hate them? Not sure what to do with them? I have found that people who claim to hate an avocado really just haven't prepared them in a tasty way or just have no clue how to eat one! These creamy, nutrient and healthy fat packed little gems are like gold to us health guru's. They don't boast a ton of flavor which is why they are perfect for adding to almost anything to improve the nutrient composition without changing the taste of your meal. The benefits are great and the recipes are endless. Take a look:

Benefits of The Avocado

Prostate Cancer Prevention Avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.

Oral Cancer Defense Research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells.

Breast Cancer Protection Avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies.

Eye Health Avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases.

Lower Cholesterol Avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, a compound that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. In one study, 45 volunteers experienced an average drop in cholesterol of 17% after eating avocados for only one week.

Heart Health One cup of avocado has 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. Studies show that people who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower incidence of heart disease than those who don't. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione in avocado are also great for your heart.

Stroke Prevention The high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. People who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower risk of stroke than those who don't.

Better Nutrient Absorption

We know certain nutrients needs fats to be absorbed – they  are called fat soluble. Research has found that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado. In one study, when participants ate a salad containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes lycopene and beta carotene) than those who didn't include avocados.

Glutathione Source Avocados are an excellent source of glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is important in preventing aging, cancer, and heart disease.

Vitamin E Powerhouse Avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health

Try adding avocado with these:

Dice or slice avocado over hot eggs in the morning

Grilled chicken, diced and mixed with mashed avocado instead of mayo - to make chicken salad

Blend: 1/4 avocado in any protein shake

Blend: 1/3 frozen banana + 1/4 avocado + 1 tsp chia seeds + 1/2 cup almond milk + 1 packet stevia

Mix: 1/4 cup hummus mixed with 1/2 avocado as veggie or nut cracker dip.

Spread avocado on gluten-free toast or high fiber lavash, then sprinkle red pepper flakes and black pepper or seat salt for breakfast or instead of a dinner roll. (add egg and make it an egg sammy)

 Click here for my 10 Best Guac Recipes you are sure to swoon over! 

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Life's Lessons from a Toddler

A few life lessons as I watch my 19 month old live out loud in her beautiful, untainted world. 

by Briana Michel

More More! One of the first signs and words my daughter learned was “more” - kids are not afraid to ask for more of what they want, when they want it. Sometimes as adults we put our needs and wants on the back burner and get too shy to ask for what we truly want. We think people will judge us or worse turn us down and that would be devastating to our ego. Wouldn’t it? But if you asked any truly successful person how they got there. they would tell you they asked the questions others were unwilling to ask, they demanded more from the people around them (and themselves), they asked for things that others hesitated to act on and because of that they got what they wanted more often.

Be unapologetic about an inquisitive nature. Kids want to learn everything around them. They are unbiased sponges ready to devour any golden nugget you can impart on them. As an adult, I have come to learn that the smartest people in the room are the ones asking questions, not the ones monopolizing the conversation. 

Find any reason to smile and laugh. My daughter will break out into a run looking back and laughing, waiting for me to chase her or in the middle of dinner she will look up and give a giant face-squishing grin and yell “cheese” as if posing for a photo. She loves to laugh, lives to be entertained and genuinely approaches each day with an open and positive attitude. When do we start to become too stressed and jaded that we forget to smile and laugh at the simple things in life that mean the most? The interactions and feelings that can warm our soul and re-energize us. 

Experience your food. Color, taste, texture, temperature are explored at each and every meal. It is a full sensory experience that doubles in duty by also nourishing her body. I don’t give her any empty calories. Every food has a purpose and each food she examines and only eats til she is satisfied. She doesn’t use food to cure her boredom, address emotional issues or as a substitute for companionship. Food gives her what she requires on a basic human needs level and is not a source of self-loathing and loss of self-control like so many of us today. When did food become the devil in our adult life? -Causing weight gain, body image issues, misery and health repercussions? Back to basics - eat close to the earth, take your time eating and be choosy with what goes into your mouth. Have standards with what you allow to enteryour “temple.”

 www.MyThrival.com - lead your family by a healthy example. 

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Smoothies

Click to check a cool blog!

Source for the post: Click

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Great guide- my Thrival advice is skip all added sugars - agave and honey are not actually healthy.

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[yourhealthyself-deactivated2020]

click for that extra bit of motivation

[california-skinny]

Get in my life nowwww

[90daystothrival]

Yum! Egg bakes into avocado- thats a winner in my books

[90daystothrival]

Snacks Done in the Microwave! Ta-da!

Super simple snacks and meals you can make in minutes with your microwave. Now you really have zero excuses left to not eat better each day. 

Strawberry Breakfast Bowl

1/4 cup oat bran

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp coconut flour

2 Tbsp buckwheat groats

1 Tbsp ground chia seeds

 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch sea salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp applesauce

1/4 cup almond milk

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, diced

1 tsp coconut oil

Combine all fry ingredients then mix in wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries. Spray microwave safe baking dish, mug or ramekin, add batter into the dish/mug. Heat for 90 seconds or until top is set. Let cool for a few minutes before eating. 

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Picture is my mug quiche attempt re-plated after cooking

Mug Quiche

1 large egg + 2 egg whites

1 1/2 tbsp organic half and half

1 tsp melted organic butter

pinch of sea salt 

pinch of black pepper or garlic powder

4 small grape tomatoes, halved

small handful of raw kale, torn into pieces

1/2 piece of gluten-free high fiber bread, torn into pieces

1 tbsp grated organic cheese of your choosing (optional - I left this out of mine to minimize dairy intake since I am noticing it breaks my skin out)

1 tsp fresh chopped herbs (ex: chives, parsley, green onion)

In a microwavable mug, add eggs, milk, butter, salt and pepper and whisk until eggs are completely broken up. Add halved tomatoes, torn bread, grated cheese and chopped herbs on top of the eggs, making sure they don’t all sit on the bottom. Put mug in the microwave and cook for 1-minute on high until eggs are completely cooked and quiche is slightly puffy. Eat and enjoy right away. 

NOTE: I changed this recipe from one I found online to be more Thrival appropriate - so with the extra added egg whites you will need to use a larger bowl/mug because your quiche will get rather large and fluffy. I used a large (1/2 quart) glass measuring cup. See below

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Sweet Potato & Parsnip Chips

1 medium sweet potato sliced VERY thin

1 medium parsnip, sliced VERY thin

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp optional seasoning like Mrs Dash or steak seasoning etc… 

Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut parsnip and sweet potato into ultra thin slices (1/8” thick). In a bowl toss slices with oil and seasoning. Spray a large microwavable plate with non-stick spray. Lay out slices in a single layer on that plate. Microwave uncovered on high until slices start to brown around the edges. 2-4 minutes. Turn slices over and continue cooking for a few more minutes until they crisp up to your liking. Makes 3 servings on Thrival. 

(Thrival Tip: to add some protein to this snack make a dip of plain Greek Yogurt, dill, garlic powder and a dash of lemon)

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Sweet Roasted Nuts

Lightly damped you favorite raw nuts and then toss with either cinnamon or cocoa powder and stevia. Spread them in a single layer of nuts on a microwave safe plate. Cook in 1 minute intervals on full power, until nuts have a crisp crunchy flavor and texture. (They wont get as dark as when you roast them in the oven - so don’t over cook trying to make them look roasted)

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Thrival Grain-Free English Muffin

1 1/2 Tbsp almond flour (also called almond meal)

2 Tbsp coconut flour (why? because it is gluten-free and high in fiber!)

1 tsp organic melted butter

1 egg

1/4 tsp baking powder

 2 Tbsp water

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Spray a microwave save container and transfer “dough” into it. Microwave for 2 - 2 1/2 minutes. 

(want to give it some flavor? Try adding garlic powder or for sweet bread add cinnamon and stevia)

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Mug O’ Meatloaf

3 oz ground beef or turkey

1 1/2 Tbsp 2% milk

1 Tbsp ketchup (with no high fructose corn syrup)

1 tsp onion mix soup

1 1/2 Tbsp quick-cooking oats

In a small bowl, combine milk, ketchup, oats and soup mix. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Take concoction and pat it together and put into a microwave safe mug that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with a small plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until the center is no longer pink or thermometer reads 180 degrees. Drain off any “juice” and let cool for about 3 minutes.

Counts as a Thrival protein. Can add chopped spinach, zucchini and kale to get your veggies in too! 

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For the rest of your life be the BEST of your life