First 10 Days of Shakeology…

Posted in Beachbody/Shakeology, Health, Lifestyle, Motivation by

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If you’ve never tried Shakeology, let alone heard of it, you are likely wondering what it is and does it work? Shakeology is a meal replacement and also known as your daily dose of dense nutrition. After many mornings of making my own shakes, spending tons of money on fresh fruits and vegetables, omega fatty acids, probiotics, chia seeds, and anything else that I thought was good for me to throw in a shake, I decided to give Shakeology a try.

Here are my experiences with it in the last 10 days:

  • It’s WAY more convenient. I blend a scoop of Shakeology, crushed ice, frozen fruit and water into my nutribullet. It takes me a total of 3 minutes from start to finish, including washing out the blender cup and blades. Easy peezy!
  • NO more coffee! This was so much easier giving up with a load of vitamins to recover from the side effects of no coffee. After 2 days, I had no headaches and was feeling good.
  • I notice an increase in energy, specifically after hard workouts.  Prior to drinking Shakeology, I would have intense, hour long workouts and feel completely fatigued the entire day. I have now incorporated a half a shake pre-workout and the other half post-workout and I feel energetic the entire day, no signs of fatigue like I use to feel.
  • I have lost 2 pounds total. Weight loss hasn’t been my intention but rather feeding my body dense nutrition and feeling great is; a small decrease in my weight is just an added bonus. J
  • It’s filling. Shakeology can be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner or for a snack. I have been using it as my breakfast and I drink it at 7:15 in the morning and I don’t feel hungry or need a snack until about 10:30 am. Of course this is going to be different for everybody and depending on your activity level but this is my experience.
  • Improved digestion and regularity.   I have never been that great with “regularity”. In the last 10 days, I have been regular every day and have seen significant improvement on this front.
  • I am sleeping through the night! This is huge for me; I have always been a terrible sleeper. I am now averaging at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

I would encourage you to check out the nutrition facts and what’s in Shakeology, all the information is posted on the website and you can find it here.

Next stop is the 3-Day Refresh cleanse that I am really looking forward to! Stayed tuned for the results!

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IIN Conference!

Posted in Health, Motivation by

Had an amazing time at the IIN conference this weekend. So many inspiring health and wellness experts came to speak this weekend, from Deepak Chopra to Arianna Huffington and Dr. Northrop, it was incredible! Some of the biggest takeaways from the weekend were:
1) Get your sleep! At least 7-8 hours a night
2) Make yourself a priority…take time to exercise/plan meals/relax/etc. This will make you a better parent, spouse sibling, and friend
3) 75% of diseases are preventative and typically stressed induced
and lastly…
4) YOU are responsible for your OWN HAPPINESS!

Key takeaways from the weekend that I hope will continue to resonate with you as they are for me!

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My Mom – The Multi Media Artist!

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Brought to you by my most creative, amazing mother! Her talent and passion has always inspired me through the years. Up until recently she has been traveling the Chicago-land area to sell her high quality, always beautiful (in my humble opinion), hand-made products to her loyal customers. We have now just opened up her Etsy shop to get her more exposure and I’d be so delighted if you took some time to check out all the great stuff she has! Her shop can be found at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Kaliopee

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Amazingly Moisturing Honey Lotion Body Bar

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DIY Honey Lotion Body Bars

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Who enjoys getting out of a warm shower and then having to put on cold lotion?? NOT ME!! I absolutely can’t stand that so in turn, my skin ends up being incredibly dry in the winter, UNTIL I found the most amazing thing from LUSH, called King of Skin.  It’s essentially body butter in the form of a soap bar that you use in the shower.  It soaks into your skin and leaves you feeling completely moisturized from head to toe.

SO, since I was spending crazy amounts of money on this every other month, I thought I would try to make it myself.  Not to mention, knowing that I was putting quality, all-natural and organic product on my skin was an even bigger plus! With the help of Thank Your Body, I was able to adapt my own recipe of this amazing body lotion and share it with you all! So here it goes…

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces organic beeswax*
  • 2 ounces organic shea butter*
  • 2 ounces organic coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 drops of organic lavender essential oil (or any other essential oil you prefer)*
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of raw honey
  • *can be found on Amazon

Directions:

1)      In a double boiler, melt together the beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil until they become a smooth, uniform liquid

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2)      Turn the heat off and add the olive oil, honey and essential oil drops

3)      In a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners OR in a plastic rectangle mold (found at hobby lobby), ladle the mixture evenly

4)      Let cool and set for approximately 3 hours, pop in the fridge to speed up the process.

Use the lotion bar in the shower as an all-over moisturizer, or keep it next to the sink for a hand moisturizer.  Enjoy!

Coffee + Connections = Afternoon Happiness

Posted in Health, Lifestyle by

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There’s nothing like spending some quality family time over a nice cup of coffee! It’s the simple pleasures in life. ❤️

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Morning Glory Muffins {Gluten and Dairy Free}

Posted in Health, Recipes by

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Delicious, dairy and gluten-free muffins that even your children will love!  If you have picky eaters, these muffins will be a great way to get some fruit and veggies into your little peanuts and maybe even the men in your life;).

Breakfast is one of the hardest meals for me to plan for, yet it should be the most important.  My issue is that half the time I am running late and when I don’t have time to make a smoothie, I end up grabbing a piece of fruit and am starving an hour later.  These muffins are full of fiber (to keep you feeling full longer) and nutritional ingredients for sustainable energy.  They also freeze well so double the batch and keep them for last minute healthy breakfast treats.

This recipe was adapted from The Healthy Gluten-Free Life.

Ingredients:

Dry

  • ¾ cup brown rice flour
  • ¼ cup teff flour
  • ½ cup potato starch
  • ½ cup tapioca starch
  • ½ tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Wet

  • ¼ cup raw organic honey
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup packed organic brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ organic, unsweetened applesauce
  • ¾ cup warm water

Add Ins

  • ¼ shredded organic coconut
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 large apple, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • ½ cup organic raisins

*All flours can be found at most health food stores – I use Bob’s Red Mill.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk dry ingredients together, set aside.

In a stand mixer, blend honey, oil, and brown sugar together until combined. Add vanilla and applesauce, mix well.  Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, mix on low.  Add warm water until the dough is moist and thick but still able to be poured into muffin pans.  Fold in coconut, walnuts, apples, carrots and raisins.

Bake in oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool and enjoy!

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Merry Christmas and a {Healthy} New Year!

Posted in Health, Lifestyle, Motivation by

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours! Christmas is always a great time of year to spend with the ones you love and reflect on the blessings you have in your life. Although life may not always seem perfect there’s one thing we can never take for granted and that is our health. Health and happiness go hand-in-hand so please take some time to reflect on this and prepare for a healthy and happy new year ahead! Peace and Love ❤️

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Health Coaching Website Launched!

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So excited to announce my website has launched!  Please find more information regarding my approach to Health Coaching and how to set-up your free initial consultation with me.  Please visit http://lmaiman.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com