{Before & After Lifestyle Change}

{What Drives Me to Be Healthy?}

I will say right now, I have not always been healthy. I think when you take on a lifestyle change- if you aren’t surrounded by like minded people, people then they begin to question why you are changing, and where does that leave them? It’s been about 6 years now that I have been vegetarian (not for everyone) and completely cleaned up my eating habits. This has been a progressive transformation of a healthy lifestyle including mind, body, and soul. I didn’t lose weight overnight, nor did I do it without massive hard work and dedication to wanting to be better. I have become self educated on what my expectations are for MY own health, and I refuse to settle for any less. I didn’t always love to work out because that required that I actually got off my ass and did something! Go figure! But little by little, the more movement I did the better I felt and the more weight I lost. If you would have told me I was going to be in a circuit training class (FNS) a year ago I would have told you that you were absolutely nuts! Now, I feel guilty if I miss a day. I guess Newton had it right all along, for every action there is a reaction. I am a firm believer that being healthy is different for everyone. It doesn’t mean weighing 120 lbs, or starving yourself. It means living in moderation and not being too extreme on either side of the spectrum. People always ask, “How did you do it?” It’s simple. I made a change for ME, started eating better and started moving. The keyword is I….Nobody else can do it for you. I will continue this journey while educating others to take the same accountability. I encourage you to take a self examination (instead of blaming others) on what you can do better, and make a change. If I did it, anything is possible.

Some of my favorite snacks…

{Greek Yogurt w/ Fruit and Agave}

*This is so easy and delicious. Sometimes I will eat for breakfast, and other times as a snack mid day. Agave is also a little less sweet than honey on the glycemic index.

{Vega Protien Powder}

*I love, love, love this protien powder. It’s hard to come by protien powder that doesn’t taste like chalk….this is far from! I usually mix some fruit, a little juice, kale, chia seeds and agave for a smoothie after a workout. This product is completely vegan (no animal product). Your muscles need protien! Drink away.

{Raw Nuts are Best}

*It took me a while to get away from overly salted nuts like planters, but now if I even dare to eat that I will need a liter of water to wash it down. My favorite is going to Whole Foods and getting bags of different nuts out of the bulk aisle- and then making my own trail mix (instead of buying premade.) I add cranberries, apricots and banana chips also! Its healthy, light and a great go to snack. I recomend making small snack bags at the beginning of the week so you don’t have any excuses mid week as to why you need that Snickers bar!

{Bruschetta}

*This is such an easy snack. Obviously I am not pounding down bread by the loaves, but I do enjoy it once in a while. Fresh tomato, raw garlic, a little basil and salt and pepper to taste! So easy and fast. You can also add balsamic for a more tart taste.

Whole Foods Brand}

*Jalapeno and Lemon are my favorite flavors. I usually dip with celary, cucumber or carrots. Beans are great protien, and the veggies are great fiber. Pita chips are often the reason hummus can be fatening so pick my calories wisely. Whole Foods brand hummus is delish! If you don’t want to buy, you can always make your own hummus. (It’s really easy.)

Favorite Cheat Snack…

Yes! It’s true…I don’t eat nuts and berries all day. I am human!

{iced grande caramel macchiato}

*This is my version of diet coke.I get it, you just can’t live without it. Although I would never drink that poison if it was the last taste of liquid on the planet, I LOVE iced coffee! This is probably the only way I consume milk (not a big cereal drinker & I never buy it.) I also know that it has calories. Lots of them haha, but I work out hard and treat myself once in a while.

{Coffee is my favorite}

*I am a sucker for ice cream! You name it, I love it. With that said quality is extremely important when choosing dairy products. If there is anything you should eat organic it’s meat and dairy. Knowing that the animals weren’t pumped with steroids and antibiotics makes this ice cream experience a little more enjoyable. Don’t know what I am talking about? Read Omnivores Dillema. It will get you thinking. If you haven’t tried Straus Products, I recommend you do. They are local, sustainable and Organic.

Favorite Recipe…

{Quinoa Mexican Salad}

What you’ll need:

• Black Beans
• Corn
• Cherry Tomato
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro
• Lemons + Olive Oil
• Quinoa
• Avocado
• Red Onion

Fast and Easy! Cook the quinoa. Dice onions, jalapeno and cilantro. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Combine all ingrediants together. Lemon and Olive oil to taste as well as the salt and pepper. You can add chicken if desired, but I think it tastes great vegetarian.

There you have it…This about sums it up!

*I do not claim the rights to these photos.