It All Starts With A Challenge

Going through life easy isn't always fun. It gets pretty boring doing the same old, right? Why not decide today, right now to set a new challenge for yourself. Set that goal, and work your ass off to reach it with no excuses.
Ever wonder what you would look like with cutting out alcohol for a month, or what would happen if you started lifting weights every other day, how about not eating fast food for a month.
Pick something that has be bothering you and CHANGE it. Set a goal for however long you'd like. Something that would be an accomplishment for you, and not anyone else.
For example, you can try one of these..
-no sweets for a week.
-no carbs before bed this month.
-switch to almond milk this month.
-Add 3 servings of greens to my day.
-Increase my cardio by 5 minutes.
-Drink more water.
-Get the dressing on the side this month.
-Cut out cheese for 2 weeks.
-Try one group fitness class each week this month.
-Each weekend do something active outdoors.

Make up your own challenge and let me know what it is you choose!

"There is no better day than today"

Summer Salmon Salad

What is better than a juicy, fruity, tasty salad on a summer night? Close to nothing after you try this recipe. It hits both the sweet and savory taste buds!
My amazing client brought me the freshest salmon her husband caught just yesterday!!!!! I had to enjoy it, and it needed to pop!

Ingredients:
Salmon (wild)
Mixed greens (organic)
2 mangos (organic)
Bunch of basil (organic)
Fresh goat cheese- I used herbed (local)
Balsamic
Extra virgin olive oil
Agave nectar (or honey)
Mustard
Salt-free seasoning (garlic)

1. Oven on HI broil. Cook fresh salmon with a bit of pepper and sprinkle of salt for about 10 minutes!
2. In large bowl add lettuce, finely chopped basil, chopped mango chunks, small pieces of cheese.
3. In a dressing shaker add 3 tbsp. Balsamic, 1 tbsp. Evoo, 1 tbsp agave, 1 tbsp mustard, shake of salt-free garlic.
4. Pour dressing over salad, and toss.
5. Serve salads in small bowl, and place filet of salmon on top!

Enjoy!

How To Start Your Transformation

I have never been so flattered with compliments like I was this past weekend. Every time I ran in to people I haven't seen in a while I was lucky to have been spoiled with kind words. I couldn't help but feel spoiled with love.
I was SO happy that people rooted me on and told me I inspired or motivated them (those are the best two compliments I could ask for). I noticed, people actually got the fact that I did this competition to challenge my mind and body, not try to look good in a bikini on a stage. That wasn't my reasoning for competing at all. Knowing that I can help others reach their goals by motivating them is why I continue to push hard every day.

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN. START WORKING HARD, MOTIVATE PEOPLE, AND TRANSFORM.

It isn't easy to change old habits. Think about it, you have created these habits over years and years. The change won't happen overnight, but the consistency of working towards a change makes it a lifestyle. It took me about a year to lose the freshman 15 I gained. People gave me a hard time for about...... A YEAR. The only thing that kept me going was....ME. Knowing that I needed to make the change kept me working hard.

How to make your change: Start adopting more healthy habits! I.e. If you workout 3x a week shoot for 4. If you eat healthy 3 of 4 meals then shoot for 4 of 4. If you workout 30minutes then shoot for 1hour. If you eat out 3x a week eat out 2.

Start small, and these little changes will change your life. I promise. I started by ordering salads out. Then salads with no candied nuts, then changed  to getting no nuts or cheese on my salads. A few weeks later no nuts, no cheese, and no dressing. Small changes make BIG differences, up to 350-400 calorie differences!!!!!!!!!

You can transform your habits, which will then transform your mood, and your BODY. Now is the time. Start your transformation, you are the only person who can transform YOU. It is your responsibility to control your happiness, confidence, and you have the power to change!

Grocery List: My Staple Must Have Items

Sometimes going to the market is simply too overwhelming for some. There are thousands of options, and who is to say which is better for your personal genetic make up and taste buds? Well, for me not every trip is the same. I like switching it up and adding new things to the cart to create variety, but at the same time there are definitely some staple items I must not leave without. My house must always be stocked with the following:

Fruit: * All the variety in the world (think seasonal, and ORGANIC)
Veggies: * Think GREEN: fresh and/or frozen * Fresh Salads: Mixes, kale, spinach, arugula
Clean Carbs:
* Oatmeal- I like Bob's Gluten-free
* Quinoa
* Yams or Sweet Potato
* Brown Rice Cakes- lightly salted
* Ezekiel bread
* Oat Flour
* Coconut Flour
 Fats:
 * Organic Hemp Hearts
 * Avocado
 * Cold-pressed oils- VARIETY
* Nut Butters- Unsalted Raw I like Artisana
Proteins:
* Eggs (organic free range, vegetarian fed)
* Raw Vegan Protein Powder: Dales Raw Protein
 * Wild Salmon (wild, no color added)
 * Organic Chicken Breast (free range, grass fed, organic)
* White Fish: Mahi, Tilapia, Hawke, Cod, Swai (wild, no color added)
Extras:
* Almond Milk- Unsweetened
* Balsamic vinegar
* Mustard
* Mrs. Dash or salt-free seasonings
Clean sweeteners: TO BE USED IN MODERATION IF AT ALL
* Agave Nectar
 * Honey
* Stevia

I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE GLUTEN INTOLERANT, RAW, VEGAN, OR VEGETARIAN.  THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE LIST, YOU CAN MODIFY ACCORDINGLY!!!!