Can You Read the Ingredients -

Do You Know What is in your favorite bar?  

I went just about a couple months without any processed foods, and in all honesty it is just not possible for me to live that way.  Now I eat ‘bars’ and some chips, but I am just careful about what is in them, especially ‘Nutrition’ Bars'.  Some of them have some very strange ingredients that I cant pronounce and cant figure out what they are.

I recently found a replacement breakfast at Starbucks (I used to eat the Spinach and Feta Wrap).  It is now a banana and a Kind Bar.  I am in love with these bars; they have the simplest ingredients ever!!!  They are also only 180 calories….a nutritionist once told me that snacks should be under 220 calories for a person with my build and energy output.  (In order to maintain where I was…about a 1600/ day calorie plan).

Kind Bar –

Mixed Nuts, (peanuts, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts), dried fruit (raisins, apricots, vegetable based glycerol, pectin, citrus fiber, citric acid, dates, honey, chicory fiber, Non GMO Glucose, puffed rice, flax seeds, soy lecithin

They also claim to be...

• All Natural
• Gluten & Wheat Free
• Low Glycemic Index
• Dairy Free
• Low Sodium
• No Sugar

These are all buzz-words, and I rarely trust the front of any package (marketing tricks), but the back of this item seems to match the front, so I feel good about them.  I still only eat them a couple times a week in an emergency, but they are fabulous for fast or in the car…or like yesterday, at the Airport.

Breakfast Favorite

My favorite breakfast is egg whites scrambled with fresh veggies and maybe left over shrimp or salmon from the night before.  

Today it was shrimp, green and yellow zucchini, onions, a couple baby red potatoes, and mushrooms.  A glass of orange juice of course and a BioSill pill for my hair and nails:). 

Went to Crossfit this morning, 7am class....ugh.  That is early for me:(. I made it tho, and it was a really good workout today, #noinjuries

Worked on my Clean and Split Jerk.  

Then the workout was....

12 wall balls (14#'s)

50 double Under jump rope

3 burpees

14 wall balls

40 double unders

6 burpees

16 wall balls

30 double unders

18 wall balls

9 burpees 

29 double unders 

21 wall balls

12 burpees

Get in Shape Quick

Fast Results

My favorite thing to do when I am trying to get in shape fast or want to tone up for an event...

1. Running Hill Sprints -
• You burn the most fat as your heart rate comes down from its elevated state...so doing sprints with recovery in-between each one will not only get your heart in excellent shape it will also tone and burn fat fast!  Start with like 3 sets, sprint up a hill for about 45 seconds and then walk down and recover so you can talk easily.  Then go again.  Increase a set each time you do this until you are up to 10 total. 
2. Cut Out Alcohol -
• I know it is so sad....but it makes a huge difference
3. Stop Eating After 7pm -
• This is hard for me, so I just go to bed
• I eat dinner, let it settle then get ready for bed and do a handful of exercises (push ups, squats, lunges, and stretches) then I go to bed and drink tea or water.
4. Carbs Only at Breakfast and Lunch -
• It is silly to cut them out completely, you will be hungry all the time.  I just take them out of dinner and add extra veggies or maybe peanut butter with my celery
• Keep them ALL complex, wild rice, sweet potato, or homemade granola
5. No Sweets -
• I think this is obvious, but just a good reminder.  Just say no.  It is useless food and does nothing for you and you can do it...you will feel so much better the next day

That is all!  I think once you just decide that you are gonna do it and look at food as a necessity and not an event it will be a lot easier.  Plus if you are bored because you have all this extra time not eating and drinking then you can prepare your fruits and veggies for the next few days or long walks on the treadmill will help burn fat.  Slow...long workouts also burn fat.  And don't forget strength...so important to build muscle.

My Mother - by Sequoia Leopold

Mother Knows Best - 

My mother is probably going to live forever and I think I just got the receipt for it today.  Her famous homemade granola!  My mom has eaten organic and fresh and local and unprocessed foods her whole life, effortlessly.  She shopped at organic local grocery stores before it was chic and always tried to convince me that fruit was a desert (even going as far as to freeze the dessert).

Now that I am trying to improve my overall life thru nutrition, what better way then with my mothers homemade granola.  I am getting much better in the kitchen these days!

I grew up on this stuff as much as I fought for Lucky Charms they never appeared in my house.  I am lucky now as I have an amazing immune system and I know it is from my childhood.  One year (birth to first birthday) in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri with no Anti-bacterial spray or handy wipes will do that!!!

Belt - Switzer - Leopold Granola 
Old Fashioned Oats
Sweetened Coconut Flakes
Wheat Germ
Sunflower Seeds (raw)
Brown Sugar
Honey
Molasses
Vegetable Oil
Flax Seed***
Sesame Seed
Walnuts
Almonds ***
Pecans
Dried Apricots
Dried Papaya
Dried Mango

Spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until just barely crispy...then let it cool, bag it up and ready for breakfast each morning.  You only need about 1/4 cup.

I eat mine with Almond Milk and fruit.  It also makes a great snack during the day (keep it in your car so you are not tempted by drive thru's and Starbucks)

Also a great alternative to Gold Fish Crackers for little ones!

Breakfast Day 1 - By Sequoia Leopold

This morning was breakfast out with my husband. I ordered egg white scramble with spinach, tomato, mushrooms, and a side of roasted red potatoes.
It was at a restaurant so the portion size was a little too big, and I always eat everything on my plate (bottomless pit). I was able however to ask for everything to be cooked in olive oil so it was still dairy free. Delicious!
I avoided the fresh sugar donuts that were served at the beginning of our breakfast.