The Best Way To Get Your Ski Legs Back, Is To Go Down The Hill!

I got coerced into my first ski of the season yesterday and it was amazing. Fresh powder, good visibility and with my hot pockets stuffed into my gloves and boots, it wasn't even that cold! My first run of the day had to be my favourite twisty, turny moguley run right under the Black Forest chair. I was in the groove and it was so exhilarating! To think, I almost didn't go.

My son and his girlfriend wanted to go skiing and asked if I could take them up. I immediately said yes and was excited myself to head up for the first time this year. 

Then it started to snow.

I began applying the brakes, so to speak, to my offer to drive. I'm not good in snow. My family would say that I'm not good in anything but sunny, clear roads. I started to warn them the night before, that we would "play it by ear" in the morning. When morning came, I drove to a 6am client's house and slipped a few times on the dump of snow from the night before. I started freaking out and thinking of a way to back out, or at the least, get them to the Big White shuttle bus for 7am. 

After training, I looked at my phone to check the road conditions and saw an onslaught of texts from my son. Most of them had the underlying currents of, "But you promised!", "You said you would!", "Please mom, I'll drive!". 

And so, begrudgingly, I went.

My son, who has had his learner's driving licence for 5 months probably could have driven there faster than me, but there was no way in hell I was giving up what little control I felt in that moment. He teased me when I pulled over to allow people to pass and laughed out loud when a grandma pulled around our car. I nervously clutched the steering wheel and kept muttering a phrase that my dad taught us when we were young, "Drive within your abilities Tracy".

Where were those abilities now? Why was I so scared? Why do I sometimes allow fear to grip me by the throat and stop me in my tracks? 

I thought about this as I took that first amazing run down the ski hill. If I had let my fears get the best of me, I wouldn't be on that hill in that moment, skiing. I thought about other times in my life where fear, rational or irrational, stopped me from an experience. Sometimes, I need to stay within my abilities because its the right, and safe thing to do! But how often have I missed out on something amazing because I was too scared? Enough times to write this blog.

I recall a time when I was asked to speak at a conference on health and wellness. The audience was about 300 people and when I was asked I was thrilled and immediately answered yes! The hour before I was about to go on, I was petrified! I tried to think of every reason NOT to do it. I even contemplated getting a "fake" emergency call that would allow me to bail out. I know, for shame. Instead, I asked myself what was the worse that could happen? Not surprisingly, there were lots of answers there! I'd choke on my words, forget what I was saying, sound like I didn't know what I was talking about, etc. And yet, this is where staying within your abilities comes in. I was prepared for this conference. I did know what I was talking about. I was the expert on this topic. So, instead of turning and running with my tail between my legs, I faced my fear and delivered what I thought was an inspirational talk. Once I was in the zone, I enjoyed myself so much, I wondered why I ever felt scared!

So, here's the point: The best way to overcome your fears is to hit them head on! Think about something that you would love to experience and ask yourself what is stopping you? If its a rational fear, then take the steps to overcome that. Scared of driving in the snow? Take driving lessons or practice in a safe area to increase your abilities. Do you want to join an adventure race with your friends? Then take 6 months to prepare yourself and train your body. Do you want to do public speaking? Then practice in front of a mirror, then your family, then a small group of friends and so on. 

If its an irrational fear, then we need to turn inside and ask ourselves some tough questions: What am I afraid of? What's the worst that could happen? What might I gain if I push past my fears? That's the real blessing! We could actually enrich our lives beyond what they are.

SO my challenge to you in 2016, is to push past your fears to become more of who you truly are. I'd love to hear how you plan to do that, or what fears you've overcome in the comments below.

I Saw A Young Man In The Gym Today And Wanted To Cry!

It was a regular gym day for me. I was running through my routine, the same motions I do every time I go. I set up my little station in the corner and got the equipment that I needed. In between my sets I chatted with the regulars, all of us complaining about the new gym "set up" and questioning why they didn't ask our opinion before they moved everything around ;) 

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them.  Three young adult men. I have a 19 year old so I'm guessing they couldn't have been much older than that. Two of the young men looked like they had been in the gym before.  They knew their way around the weights and talked in reps and plates.

 The third young man looked like a fish out of water.

It was pretty clear that it was his first time, or close to it. He wore cargo pants and skate shoes. He was overweight and I could tell he was feeling extremely self-conscious about being there. His buddies were in shorts and tank tops; perfect muscle flexing attire. The "pros" were leading the charge so to speak and it was obvious that our little fish was just going to follow their lead. 

The two men joked and flexed in the mirror, but the third young man self-consciously pulled at his shirt to try and cover his stomach, while looking around nervously to see if anyone was looking at him.  I wanted to cry. I could feel his insecurity and as a mom I just wanted to go up and hug him and tell him that he was amazingly brave for even being there. As a trainer I wanted to roll out my arsenal of sure fire ways to "lose weight and get jacked". I wanted to tell him to meet me there everyday and that I would train him until he was twice as big as the other two. 

After 5 minutes of flexing, it was go time.  The two young men picked up their dumbbells and started shoulder presses. The third one grabbed a set of 40's and right away I knew that it was too heavy for him. I wanted to go say something, but as my own 19 year old son has taught me, its less embarrassing for a guy to drop a weight than it is to have a 45 year old woman come up and tell him "that's a bit too heavy for you sweetie".  

I refrained.

It continued with some lateral raises where he predominately used his neck muscles to lift the weight and some front raises where he completed 2 out of the 12 reps. 

One of the reasons it broke my heart to see him was because it reminded me of my son, Stratton. He was never overweight rather just the opposite.  He was small.  We moved to Kelowna the year he entered grade 8. He went to OKM that first day, not knowing a soul and looking like he was going into grade 6. I felt so bad for him, and cried after dropping him off. But he was brave. He even joined the OKM Football Team. He was literally the smallest player on the team. He lasted two years, until it became painfully obvious that his growth spurt that we were promising wasn't coming anytime soon. He was very discouraged. He felt little, invisible, embarrassed.

We always told our kids that they needed to do something active and so if it wasn't football, he had to find something else. OKM had a Weight Training Class and so he signed up. I asked him the other day when it was that he started to feel "brave" in the gym. He told me that that class was when things started to turn around. He started to grow a little and by just committing to training on a regular basis, he began to see some small changes. Summer came and he joined a public gym. He said he felt intimidated the first few times, but just stuck with it anyway because his body was changing. 

Looking back to when he was in grade 8, he had no idea that it was possible to change his body as much as he has. Back then I couldn't have convinced him that one day he would be totally jacked and shredded. However, he made a decision to change and worked at it with a deep commitment that his dad and I are very proud of. The funny thing is, both my husband and now my son get told that they are lucky to have such good genetics! No, genetically, they are slight, smaller men. My husband weighed 140 pounds when we got married. They have both changed their shape dramatically because they have worked REALLY hard at it. Below is a picture of Stratton yesterday.

All that to say, I hope that young fish in the gym believes that change is possible. I hope he fights every insecurity that rises up inside of him. I hope he starts but doesn't stop. I hope he loves himself enough to treat himself with compassion even when he doesn't change as quickly as he wants. I hope Stratton can run in to this young man at the gym one day and be an inspiration. And, I hope I see him again so I can cheer him on, even if its just from inside my own head :)

Stratton today -Dec 10, 2015

Paleo Bacon Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Loooong name for something so simple! Well, at least you know what's in it now. If you're looking for a dinner dish with lower carbs, this one is for you. Brown rice could be swapped in for the cauliflower rice if you choose.

Recipe:

3 pieces of bacon - cut and crispified

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 sm onion diced

4 chicken breasts chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with green pepper

1 small cauliflower -riced

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp Sambal Olek (optional)

salt and pepper

Flat leaf parsley and avocado to garnish

In a large pot, crisp up bacon, set aside and reserve 1 tbsp bacon fat.  In that same pot cook together, chicken, onion and garlic until chicken is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, chili powder, Sambal Olek, cauliflower and salt and pepper. Cook another 5-7 minutes. Add bacon back in and top with parsley and avocado.

I loved the addition of the avocado! A squeeze of lime would work well to finish this dish off.

HOW TO STICK WITH YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM ONCE AND FOR ALL!

How many times has it been?

 How many times has it been that you’ve started an exercise program and diet? How many times have you been successful?  And how many times have you fallen off the wagon, gained weight and stopped going to the gym all together?

 What makes you think you can do it this time?

 I want to tell you a story of a woman who tried everything.  In the past 6 years, I’ve seen this woman try every fad diet, every new exercise program, and every weight loss gadget out there.  She’s cleansed, she’s wrapped, and she’s gotten up at 5am for bootcamps. If she had stuck to any ONE of the multiple techniques she tried, she would have lost the weight she was hoping to lose.  Year after year, I would look again and see her joining a new bootcamp, trying the 17 Day Diet or the 21 Day Fix and setting her resolutions that this time would be it. Her friends and followers would cheer her on, and I would sit waiting for her fitness and diet posts to fade off into Margaritas and vacations in Mexico.  I too felt myself cheering for her, that perhaps THIS time it would really work. Maybe it will someday, and for her sake, I hope it does. 

For someone who apparently wants it so bad, why can’t this woman make a healthy lifestyle stick?

 There could be a lot of reasons. Her expectations of how she wants her body to change may be too drastic, and therefore unattainable. Being overweight already she may have some physical obstacles that get in the way of her enduring the aggressive nature of a bootcamp. She may have some environmental obstacles such as no access to a gym, or no time in her day due to a career and family. Or, perhaps after trying and failing for years and years, she ultimately doesn’t believe she can do it.

Why is belief in yourself so important?

 Self-efficacy is one of the most consistent predictors of exercise adherence. That is, the extent to which an individual believes they are capable of carrying out a behavioural change, and increasing self-efficacy will lead to increasing self effort and time being devoted to the task!

 How do I increase my belief in myself?

First of all, one of the ways you can start is by really believing in the thing you want to change! So, if you want to change your weight and you believe that it is an important, even vital thing to do, then I want you to start by convincing yourself of the positive outcomes of weight loss. Then, I want you to compare that to the cons of weight loss.  Take a sheet of paper and write pro’s and con’s at the top. Now, what would some pros of weight loss be? Well, you might say

PROS

• Increased energy
• More self-confidence
• I would feel sexy again
• I wouldn’t hate my body
• I’ll live longer

Now I want you to list some of the cons of weight loss. Yes, there is a down side to weight loss as well. It’s going to cost you something. So, what is it?

CONS

• I don’t get to eat my favourite foods
• I’ll feel excluded from certain things like my Ladies Vodka Night
• I’ll go through sugar withdrawal
• I’ll have to try things that I’m afraid of

Good, keep that list handy.  Visit it often and remind yourself of the positives.  You have to want the pro’s more than the con’s for this to work.  I want you to repeat the PRO list frequently, and allow yourself to imagine what it would be like and feel like to have those things as a reality.  What would your life be like if you had more energy? What would you feel like if you walked into a room feeling more confident? What would it be like for you to look in the mirror and love your body, and to have that little voice in your head automatically tell you that you’re beautiful?

 Secondly, I want you to start using some cognitive credits.  Cognitive credits include using some positive self talk, “I’ve done well”, “I’m getting stronger”, “I have the ability to lose weight and change my lifestyle”.  This talk strengthens confidence.  Think of a phrase that resonates with you. If it feels weird coming out of your mouth, you won’t likely be repeating it!

I just read a journal called CORK – The Effects of Positive and Negative Self Talk During Dart Throwing Performance! I thought the title was hilarious and it made me curious about the study. 60 subjects were randomly assigned to positive, negative or control conditions and then completed 15 experimental dart throws. Results indicated that positive self-talk subjects performed significantly better than negative self-talk subjects on the dart throwing task.  (http://search.proquest.com/openview/457faef6d49dcbf4d58f6fd70394098b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar)

Whether it be darts, weight loss, exercise or anything where you are trying to succeed, your best bet is to be kind to yourself in your own head. Believe change is possible! Secondly, remember how critical exercise is to your well-being and draft up a list of pro's and con's. Keep the list handy and be inspired by it often. Finally, how you talk to yourself will greatly impact what you believe about yourself. 

Buffalo Chicken Crockpot!

Buffalo Chicken Crockpot

I am loving the fall crockpot recipes these days! So easy and so tasty. Spending just a few minutes to plan the night before is so much less annoying than throwing together something the last minute. 

This buffalo chicken can be served in a variety of ways, so you can have it on your go-to list and it doesn't have to be the same the next time you make it.

You can serve the shredded chicken in lettuce wraps, put it on top of a tortilla with mozzarella or blue cheese and peppers and onions for a pizza, or open face on a half a bun for a hot sandwich.

And, its super simple and clean!

Recipe:

4-6 chicken breasts

1 package Uncle Dan's Ranch Seasoning

1/2 bottle Frank's (or other brand) Hot Sauce for Wings

Dump all of the ingredients into the crockpot and set on low for 4-6 hours (Every pot is different. Mine runs hot so I cook it for 4 hours)

Once its cooked, take two forks and start shredding! At this point, if the chicken seems too dry, add more of the hot sauce.

Once its done, use it in a variety of recipes. We did pizza and it was DELICIOUS!

Enjoy!

The Benefits of Moving Daily

The Benefits of Moving Daily

Did you know that increased physical activity is one of the best predictors of LONG-TERM success is weight reduction? If you want to keep your weight down and be fit for life, you’ve got to MOVE DAILY!

The benefits of exercise are many. We are likely aware of what the physical benefits are, but did you know that exercise actually benefits us on so many more levels?

Here are the critical reasons why I want you to MOVE DAILY:

·       Psychological Benefits – Exercise is known to increase our serotonin levels, which is the feel-good chemical in our brain. It can improve our mood, our self-esteem, our body image and our confidence in our physical abilities.

***

·       Work-Related Benefits – According to the Washington Post, there is a direct link between exercise and problem-solving capabilities, creativity and planning. Just one workout can boost higher-order thinking skills, which in turn makes you more productive and efficient. Exercising your body benefits your brain because of the increased blood flow.

***

·       Social Benefits –If you are looking to connect with other people, exercise offers numerous opportunities to do just that! If you are willing to put yourself out there, there is no doubt that you can find your tribe while exercising. I’ve been going to the same gym, around the same time, for 5 years now. It starts slow, you see someone and smile. By the end of the month, you see the same person 10x and now you know their name, their profession and what exercise they are really good at! I trained an Obstetrician who has an incredibly busy life. One of the only “social” times she has with friends is during exercise. So, she multi-tasks and kills two birds with one stone. Exercise AND a visit! Brilliant.

***

·       Physical Benefits –There are so many here, but to summarize it I will quote from the Canadian Medical Association Journal, “There is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death.”

Yep. That’s reason enough for me.

4 Fitness Tips for the Holidays!

I read an article recently that said most people gain weight between Halloween and New Years's. I don't doubt it. There are tiny chocolate bars, candies, get togethers, egg nog, office parties, homemade goodies and a host of other temptations that could easily side track you from your ultimate health goals.  There's no getting away from it, but keeping your "eye on the prize" can certainly help you through it! 

4 Fitness Tips for the Holidays:

#1. Move Daily - Do something everyday! It doesn't even have to be your regular 1 hour workout session. Make it something, and try to do it first thing in the morning before you find an excuse not to do anything. No time to get to the gym? Then do one of these body weight exercise routines in the comfort of your own home! 

If you follow me on instagram, you can scroll back and see that there was a MOVE DAILY challenge for October.  There are 31 ideas for you to get your sweat on there! @tracysteenfitness - is my instagram handle.

#2- Make Choices not Decisions -  I talked a client through a weekend of her Christmas parties last week. We discussed the choice she wanted to make regarding her health. She wanted to "keep her eyes on the prize!" So out of her 3 parties, she decided that at one party she would drink alcohol and that she would limit herself to 2 glasses of wine, mixing water in between. She also looked ahead to see what the menu was going to be so that she could choose what she would eat. Making choices ahead of time (when you can), takes out the decisions while you're there. If you haven't decided before you arrive at a huge buffet, the temptation, and the pressure even to make poor choices is greater. My client felt that she was not left out of the holiday fun, but she also didn't throw the baby out with the bath water by going on an all out binge because "its the holidays".

#3 - Balance it Out! - I like the concept of indulge and resist, especially over the holidays or on vacation. Like anyone, I don't want to feel left out of the fun when it comes to celebrating, so if I know there is going to be delicious high calorie food and drink at an event, I just make certain that I balance that indulgence with a heavy duty workout. Practicing moderation can also help you stay on track. I like to add in glasses of water in between glasses of wine. Also, take smaller portions of the decadent foods you want to try, and load most of your plate up with salad or vegetables. 

#4 - Grab the Gang - My older sister is great at doing this! After dinner, or while the turkey is cooking in the afternoon, she always suggests we go for a hike or a walk, or something active! Not only do you have fun visiting, but you're moving and increasing circulation in the body. My mother is also always on board, mainly because she doesn't want to miss out on ANY of the fun! 

(Photo creds: blog.beingfatiseasy.com)

I really think it is critical for all of us to keep our eyes on the prize, and that prize is our health.  Moving daily and eating nutrient dense foods are two key ways to ensure that we are doing the most we can for our mind and body. Enjoy all that this season has to offer, and try to remember these 4 important tips along the way.

Clean Eating Caramel Corn!

The holiday season is one of those times when my family goes NUTS with the baking!  My mother's holiday cookies are extravagant, magazine worthy, and most of all delicious! I find myself frequently reaching for a treat, not because I'm hungry but simply because they are visible and convenient! I LOVE my mother's butter tarts and cannot wait until she makes them, but I also wanted to find a recipe that was a healthier option to add to those get togethers, or just for a cozy Friday night around the fire! If you find that you are a "picker", this is the perfect healthy treat for you!

Clean Eating Caramel Corn

Recipe:

8-10 cups air popped popcorn

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter

dash of salt

4 ingredients, 4 minutes and you have a delicious caramel corn that is fit to sit on any holiday dessert table! In a saucepan bring honey to boil over medium heat. Boil until the honey starts to bubble and climbs 1 inch up the side of the pan (not long). Remove from heat and add the peanut butter. In a large bowl, pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn and stir with a spoon until evenly distributed. I like to sprinkle on a little sea salt at this point. Don't use hands as mixture can burn!

Spread the popcorn on a cookie sheet to cool. Don't forget to sample as you go ;)

Store in an air tight container, or in a festive tin like this one!

Merry Christmas!

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Almond Chicken Soup!

November is here, and brings with it a little nip in the air! Warm up with this hearty fall soup, chock full of every healthy macronutrient! That's why I love this soup...its a meal in a cup.  Chicken is your lean protein, yams and kale are your complex carbohydrates, and almond butter is added at the end for your healthy fat. Finish it off with a squeeze of lime and not only is it healthy, it's absolutely delicious! It's great having other clean-eating friends in your circle and I think I got this recipe from my friend Kelsey, so just in case, I give her the recipe creds :) 

 Recipe:

Almond Chicken Soup

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 onion, diced

1 minced garlic clove

1 large sweet potato, diced

2 chicken breasts, 1″ pieces(use Rotisserie chicken and shred apart for ease)

1/2 cup almond butter

1 cup chopped kale

2 tbsp minced ginger

coarse salt and pepper

1/2 lime

Combine stock, onion, garlic and sweet potato, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add chicken and simmer 20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine almond butter and 1/2 cup of soup into a paste. Add collard or kale and ginger to soup.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in almond paste. Season with salt and pepper. Add the juice of half a lime.

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes!

It is our tradition over Thanksgiving and Christmas to crack out the pumpkin pancake recipes! Of course, our traditional recipes are full of sugar. The homemade buttermilk syrup on top is TO DIE FOR, but the recipe starts with 1 cup of refined sugar, and 1/4 cup corn syrup!  Eeeek!

I watched the documentary Fed Up this week. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. It reminds us that sugar is everywhere and in everything! The over-consumption of sugar and other processed foods is like poison in our bodies. I'm all for moderation, but I certainly like to eliminate it when I can.

This recipe does just that:)

Recipe:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 almond milk 1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.  Then combine and stir until moistened. I topped pancakes with a drizzle of real maple syrup and walnuts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Perfect Fall Side Dish ~ Chili Lime Yams!

I had these chili lime yams at Nature's Fare in Kelowna not too long ago, and I couldn't resist making some of my own. They make a fabulous side dish and last in the refrigerator a few days. They pair nicely with grilled chicken or salmon, and can even be sliced up cold over a salad for your healthy complex carbohydrate!

Recipe:

1 peeled medium yam, cubed

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 handful fresh cilantro

1/2 lime 

In a pot, bring to simmer 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock. Add yams, 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cumin. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until fork tender - approximately 12 minutes. The liquid will almost be all absorbed into the potato. 

Immediately squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime, and sprinkle with a handful of chopped cilantro. For more kick, sprinkle an additional 1/2 tsp chili powder after cooking.

Enjoy!

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

There's that moment when the air turns. A little bit "crisper" out, we say. It may not be cool enough yet to wear our leggings, boots and sweaters, but there's no harm in cracking out the pumpkin recipes!

The great thing about this recipe is that it can be so versatile to suit any taste. I added dates and walnuts to mine, but you could do: Enjoy Life chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, almond slivers, currants, sunflower seeds, cacao nibs etc. 

Recipe:

(adapted from OMGpaleo)

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon powdered ginger
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup mix-ins (dates/walnuts)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together wet ingredients in a bowl: pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, whisk together coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, powdered ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Fold in mix ins.
6. Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tins. Mine made 10.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Healthy Protein Eatmore Bars

I have an Eatmore Bar memory. Indulge me:

When I was 10 years old, my mother took us girls to stay at her friends house in Vancouver for the weekend. Before heading to Stanley Park to walk the trails, we had stopped at a near by convenience store and been allowed to choose a bagful of candy! During our playtime at the park, I greedily shoved all that sugar down my gullet, except for my prized Eatmore Bar. I was saving that one for the finale! Once we got back into our car, my mom had said no more sugar, and that anything we had left was going to have to wait until tomorrow. Gutted! 

The next day came and we were set to leave. I don't recall how exactly I had forgotten that precious candy bar, tucked safely beside the bed I had been sleeping in, but somehow I did! I begged my mom to turn around for that lone bar...the bar that I had saved especially for that grueling ride home. Alas, she never did turn back, and thoughts of the forgotten bar still haunt me.....

Right! Well, until now anyway. Check out the following recipe and re-create a little taste of your childhood, only healthier :)

 Recipe:

(adapted from damyhealth)

1 cup dates (soak to soften)

3 tbsp nut butter

1/4 cup hemp hearts

2 cups salted peanuts (unsalted for lower sodium option)

3 scoops vanilla protein powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp vanilla

In a food processor chop peanuts and set aside. Add nut butter, vanilla, cocoa powder and dates, process until smooth. Add wet mixture to chopped peanuts. Stir in protein powder and hemp hearts, adding water if mixture appears too dry. Mix with hands to form a large ball. Press ball between two pieces of plastic wrap and shape into a rectangle.  Slice into 16 bars, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer

Once you sink your teeth into these little gems, you will realize that they are just like Eatmore Bars, only healthier with no added sugar and added protein!

Paleo Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

I hate to be the one to say it....but summer is coming to a close and fall is right around the corner! Costco proved that last week with their Christmas tree display :/  I'm not thrilled about it either...not like my daughter Piper who can't wait to wear combat boots and warm, cozy sweaters! Alas, there is not much we can do to slow time, but we can get into the fall spirit by making these fabulous breakfast cookies!

RECIPE:

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (not pie filling)

1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

2-3 cups of mix-ins of your choice

Mix all of the ingredients together and spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Mix-In Ideas:

chopped almonds

walnuts

pecans

craisins

pumpkin seeds

currents

raisins

dates

coconut

hemp hearts

chia seeds

dried fruits

cacao nibs

Try this delicious pumpkin breakfast cookie recipe as a great grab-n-go breakfast or snack! They freeze well, though I do stack them with wax paper in between. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

BBQ Mediterranean Chicken Packets!

Ahhh summer BBQ season is in full swing! This simple recipe requires little prep and because you cook it in foil...there's no clean up! My kind of dinner.

In a bowl combine:

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

2/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives

2 large chicken breasts, cubed

Drizzle of olive oil

Small handful of Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 green onion, slivered

Salt and pepper 

Juice of half a lemon

Lay out 2 rectangles of foil and divide mixture evenly among the sheets.

Carefully fold up packets, being sure to seal all of the edges. This dish produces some juice from the tomatoes so use caution when removing from BBQ as the liquid inside will be boiling hot! I BBQ this on low heat for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly. To add some extra flavour, top with crumbled feta cheese after cooking.

Delicious!