Who doesn’t want all the calories and fat that normally come with it?? This girl lol
This is something I make frequently that I find to be SUPER easy.
Please note I may receive a small commission from some affiliate links in this post- You can also save on ANY of their products at checkout with code CANDICECFITNESS .
Take Chicken and prep with salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
Heat skillet or cast iron to medium heat and prep cauliflower gnocchi as indicated on package – once cooked add 1 tbsp oil to skillet and add mushrooms and broccoli cook until soft add garlic and salt and pepper then remove gnocchi, broccoli and mushrooms from pan.
Add chicken along with 1 tbsp more of avocado oil and garlic to pan and cook 6-8 minutes/side- add the other tbsp of nutritional yeast.
Once chicken is cooked add all ingredients back in and toss with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce
Allow to simmer for about 2-4 minutes
Remove immediately and divide into 4 servings.
Top with additional Nutritional Yeast for more of a cheesy taste
Yields 4 servings.
Prep bacon as indicated on package
Please note that I may receive a small commission from some of the links within this post. Also note that I would never affiliate with any company or product that I do not believe in or use whole heartedly.
Stressed by what is best to get at the store?
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Ever find yourself just throwing whatever seems appealing into your cart?
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Weightloss is something that I believe every woman at some point in her life wants or tries to achieve. I know it one of the main reasons I have a job, and I have been there… in an unhealthy way, but thats for another day. Today I want to go over the top 5 reasons I see in women as to why they cannot seem to get the weight off, even IF they are doing all the things you would think would be right to get it off. Such as working out, watching what they eat, etc. I am going to go over these reasons THEN give you tips on how to start changing things around in a balanced way to see the scale start to change.
The Top 5 Reasons I Have Discovered That Women Cannot Lose Weight
Improper Diet
When I say improper diet you probably think of Mcdonalds, cake, all the bad fried stuff most of us know about… but what about sugar? What about eating too much “diet” foods or processed stuff?? Do you ever consider that those “gluten free” “healthy” foods may be causing harm too? Well they can.
Of course most of us know Fried stuff and super sweet stuff can pack on pounds but we also need to pay attention to some of the “healthy” stuff we are eating too. Too many calories every day are still too many…. Regardless if it is good stuff or not.
We also need to look at that label on those healthy items….Checking for fake ingredients can help lower inflammation, as the more fake stuff you consume the more inflamed your body becomes because it does not recognize it, and over time- that can lead to extra weight.
Then there is sugar…. If you are a woman who has found herself not being able to lose weight like she once could. Then definitely pay attention to this. You could have estrogen dominance issues…. Or some other hormonal imbalance and added sugars will cause more harm than good. Even too much good for you sugars can be a problem.
Then there is the opposite end of the spectrum of not eating enough….
Working out hard can definitely help you speed up your metabolism but pair that with inadequate caloric and nutrient intake form food and you will eventually find yourself with a messed up slowed down metabolism. You can only do so for so long. Take it from me. I messed up my thyroid from doing it years ago.
Also note that if you are not eating enough to help repair muscle that is worked during exercise you will never allow that muscle to rebuild, and we want that! Lean muscle is what burns fat at rest.
Lack of vital nutrients that can support weightloss and metabolism- when you eat bad or not enough your body will not get the adequate nutrients it needs from food to help with energy, metabolism, and other things.
When you eat poorly it can also disrupt your gut microbiome. This getting out of whack can mess with your digestion and cause you again to not absorb nutrients well. This can lead to many other dysfunctions throughout your body inhibiting weightloss.
A study on artificial sweeteners and the microbiome indicated that they actually induce glucose intolerance in the gut which can lead to metabolic disease.
So to recap:
Why you cannot lose weight in regards to your diet could be from:
Eating complete crap (fast food all the time, sugary processed foods all the time, fake stuff too frequently, and healthy things that are still processed and loaded with sources of sugar which can cause inflammation)
You may not be eating enough which can cause metabolism dysfunction over time and an inability to rebuild lean muscle to help burn fat.
Your poor diet can lead to micronutrient imbalance.
Bad food can disrupt your microbiome and cause you not to absorb nutrients as you should as well as lead to imbalances beneficial bacteria and increasing non beneficial bacteria causing inflammation- which leads to weight gain.
Your Workouts
If you have not been pushing yourself hard enough, if you have been doing the same thing for too long, or you workout when you are already stressed in other ways your workouts could be hurting you.
Your body changes over time so your workouts should too, whether it is in recovery time, load or volume or reps all of these things should be changed every 6 weeks or so to ensure your body does to adapt/plateau.
Depending on the time of your cycle you are working out- your hormones and cycle can have an effect as well.
During the first half (if you are regular) your hormones are rising and you essentially have more energy. ALong with that your metabolism is slower so you can do higher intensity training along with heavier lifting to help increase your metabolism. It is also shown that women burn more fat during this time. During the second half of your cycle (luteal) phase you want to start slowing down. As hormones drop your body tends to see an increase in cortisol, going too hard then means you will not recover as well and you could cause more inflammation internally leading to little weight loss.
Another indicator is that we dont need to always work out like men. Most studies of weight loss are actually done on men vs women because of our cycle lasting 28 days and fluctuations in hormones. Men are easier to control, they have a 24 hour hormonal cycle. Meaning the weightloss shown in numerous studies may not apply equally to women
Lack of Sleep
When you dont sleep you increase stress on your body because it does not allow you to fully recover and repair.
REM Sleep is vital to emotional health. Lack of it can cause you to never fully be content, you may be on edge more and see rises in anxiety levels. These things also lead to increased stress on the body – aka increasing inflammation and potentially causing weight gain.
Your metabolism follows a circadian rhythm (24 hour cycle) if you have irregular sleep schedules it can throw your metabolism off and cause it to slow down and/or increase stress hormones.
Lack of sleep can cause you to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes because it can throw off stress hormone levels. It can cause low levels of leptin which is your appetite suppressing hormone causing you to overeat. It can also cause high levels of gherlin which is your hunger hormone again leading to more eating. Cortisol can rise because lack of sleep makes you more susceptible to stress.
So to recap:
Sleep could be to blame if :
You are not getting REM sleep
You are sleeping at different times every night and throwing off your circadian rhythm
You are not getting enough which in case causes stress, hunger and female reproductive hormones to go all over the place.
We have already eluded to the following two but to dive deeper in understanding the last two reasons are hormonal imbalance and stress. One leading to the other and vice versa.
Hormonal Imbalance
Essentially hormonal imbalance can mean low progesterone, high estrogen, high and low hunger hormones and high stress hormone levels
First lets focus on progesterone and estrogen imbalance.
When cortisol is high progesterone can be low because our body uses progesterone to make cortisol to respond to stress. So elevated stress levels be it internally or externally can cause an imbalance over time.
When progesterone gets too low – then estrogen tends to go on the increase – when this happens things like PCOS happen. Too much estrogen also causes a vicous cycle with sugar as too much can lead to the sugar in our blood to not be used as energy and instead be stored as fat – that then leads to more estrogen being released. So the cycle just keeps going.
Estrogen imbalance can also effect the estrobiome (in your gut) which can lead to other imbalances.
Your thyroid plays a role in metabolism and hormonal imbalance can affect that as well.
We touched on hunger hormones but note that any imbalance there can cause you to over eat.
High cortisol that never gets to recover or lower back down causes inflammation in our body, it can cause estrogen and progesterone imbalance, it can cause type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance with its role on energy metabolism.
So to recap:
Having any sort of hormonal imbalance can make you potentially not be able to lose weight because:
It can make your body be tricked into thinking it needs ot hang on to sugar as fat.
It can cause type 2 diabetes.
It can lead to inflammation and disruption of the microbiome.
Stress
ALL THESE THINGS CAUSE A TYPE OF STRESS
Stress is bad- it causes inflammation- we know inflammation can cause disease but it also can cause issues with our metabolism.
It can slow it down
It can hold onto too much because your body thinks its in a fight or flight state so it needs as much food to hold onto as possible.
Stress also can deplete micronutrients from your body and cause you to have decreased energy and metabolism as a result.
Your metabolism needs certain nutrients to function optimally. Your thyroid needs them too- without them it can either slow down or speed up to impact your health in a negative way.
It can cause your hunger hormones to get wonky and cause you to be hungry 24/7- eating crap too often- hence recreating a bad cycle.
Try to go to bed around the same time every night. The better a routine your body is on, the better your metabolism can function.
Try to limit processed foods (even if they are “organic”) a cookie is still a cookie.
Look at nutrition labels of everything- if you need help with this check out my last video on labels.
Change up your workout routine. Change it up every few weeks. Increase reps, increase load (weight) or change up the style. Another great approach is to sync it with your cycle. You can find out more about that at the video linked below.
Try to decrease stress – take 5-10 minutes a day to just be still. Deep breathe, take in nature or your surroundings, read a book. Doing this small stuff can make a BIG difference.
If you try all of this and after a while you are still not seeing results then go to a functional doctor near you and get your labs done. Test your hormone levels. You want a functional doctor because they look at EVERYTHING not just your thyroid but everything that supports it. Including micronutrients.
I hope this helped you have a batter understanding as to why you may be at a plateau. If you need help find someone who can help you come up with a plan. Stay accountable and keep trying, do not give up! Sometimes it takes longer than we like, but the biggest thing is to just keep changing and trying, be open to change and learn patience. You want to not only lose weight but create a healthy life to go along with it.
I help clients daily address these issues
See if I can help you get after these and finally get the weight off. Inquire here.
So no idea why this is my new thing. I go through phases, maybe you do too where you love something then you transition to eating something else (I am talking about food this time lol).
I will get on routine where I eat the same thing for breakfast over and over and then some how be inspired to change it up. This is no different.
If you have followed me at all you know I eat alot of overnight oats. I love the texture and taste of that with fruit, my protein, and nut butter and flax seed, or other seeds etc. Maybe it is the summer time and heat but I recently started having more smoothies – I am talking fully blended (I still want that spoon action though).
You may be familiar with the Fab Four smoothie RD – @bewellwithKelly created for her clients and it went mainstream. Well this is very very similar- but I use my own stuff lol.
I love this smoothie for a few reasons :
Taste (duh)
Its packed with healthy fiber to keep me fuller longer so no snacking.
I can eat it on the go (sometimes) and if I make it less thick I can totally drink it in the car.
I am getting all of my vitamins needs along with important antioxidants and immune boosting minerals.
I can easily change up the combo and still get the same benefits.
So what is in this thing I am now digging so much??
It consists of a breakdown that is pretty simple:
Some sort of plant based protein or collagen/ bone broth style protein powder (I use my DNS every day!)
this is great for recovery and muscle and bone health as well as gut health if you are using a bone broth or collagen variety) – side note ALWAYS look at the ingredients if it is loaded with stuff you cannot pronounce then run! Here are some of my favorites.
Some sort of Fruit like a berry 1/4-1/2 cup frozen is preferred
Berries like strawberries, blueberries and cherries are great because they are low on the glycemic index so they wont spike blood sugar like some can. They are also great for antioxidant health and benefits. Fighting free radicals and even skin!
Greens – about 1 cup (can be frozen or fresh) (anything like spinach, kale, even zucchini works well)
You know you need your greens (you could also use a greens powder if that is more your jam like this one – however make sure you pay attention to what is in it because the flavors of that plus the smoothie may not exactly um…. taste all that great.
We NEED healthy fats. They help support our joints, our digestion and can even help our blood and brain health too. With butters make sure to look at the label, the less sugar and the less added junk the better. You also want to steer away from any canola and even palm oil for some.
Chia seeds can give you a crunchier taste and make it a little thicker, hemp and flax are both more nutty and hemp even provides a great plant based protein to the mix. I would aim for 1 TBSP of one of these.
1 scoop of collagen powder (unless you are using it for your protein)
( I love primal kitchen foods collagen – you can save with code CANDICECFITNESS at checkout here )
Collagen is GREAT for our overall health – it supports our joints and ligaments and tendons and can help rebuild the gut lining too. Again like everything else – look at those labels!!
Stevia or natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup
Natural is always the best bet when it comes to sweeteners, however you still want to be mindful when using honey or maple syrup or something like agave- they are really heavy in natural sugars and too much of a good thing IS possible – aim for a tsp or so.
Milk of preference
I like milkadamia or califia farms – you can also use a soy or flax or coconut just pay attention so you are not overdoing one thing – like coconut milk then coconut oil, etc.
Overall smoothies like this are a great easy option to get nutrient dense foods in first thing in the morning. To set your day off on the right foot if you will. You should stay fuller longer due to all the fiber too! You can always get creative and add spices like cinnamon or turmeric or even ginger if that is more your jam.
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Mushrooms 🍄 – Drinkable 🍄 – yes mushrooms 🍄 . I am a fan.
Have I got you weirded out yet?
I have always loved typical mushrooms ya know the ones like bella, oyster, etc. I love them in a good spaghetti or with a good steak… or just by themselves.
These guys though- these are a little different they are considered superfoods….. They provide benefits to us that can help with underlying stress (which HELLOOOO we all have) anxiety, focus, energy, etc.
In this post I am going to be explaining some products that are infused with these bad boys.
These products are made by a company called Four Sigmatic and I AM A FAN.
Four Sigmatichelps people achieve elevated wellness with the worlds most nutrient dense ingredients. They want to help decrease our stress and not so great lifestyle adaptations we have and do daily by adding these superfoods to products that are everyday staples. So we do not have to necessary make changes to who we are but add in nutrient dense superfoods to the things we already love – like coffee.
I personally think it is a great idea. I have tried a bunch of their products but the ones I am going to focus on here today include Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps and Lions Mane , they are some of their staples.
They have many more- but this is a blog not a novel!
First off I want you to understand their brand:
They originated with their founder Tero who is from Finland.
He grew up on a farm there and discovered his love for Mother Nature and some of the benefits she can bring. (by the way did you Finland is considered one of the happiest places on earth?)
He discovered these superfoods living there and apparently they are a thing – so maybe they are onto something. They are in 65 countries now and are bringing benefits to tons of people all over the world. Doing some good I would say!
Their brand motto –
Four Sigmatic is a wellness company that wants to share the benefits of the most nutrient dense ingredients with the world. Our innovative recipes combine these truly super foods with daily staples like coffee, cacao, and skincare to help people fit elevated wellness in throughout the day and meet the overwhelming demands of modern life.
I made it with hot water- coconut milk- stevia- and a little oat milk creamer. Combined them all and blended it in my nutri bullet.
Taste – Great. No complaints here. I am someone who puts stevia in everything (may not be my strongest suit) but I love sweet so if I had to compare JUST the coffee taste – I would fail ALL coffees not just theirs lol.
Focus- Pretty good. I didnt get a headache like some coffee, I got good focus and I enjoyed it. Lions Mane is a superfood mushroom known for focus and keeping your mind sharp- without stressing out your body with caffeine. This may be a new staple. I just wish it came in nespresso capsules lol.
Side note- did you know caffeine can cause some inflammation in some people… maybe it is something I need to look into more.
Mid Day Drink – Chaga Elixir.
I made this with water and stevia. And Frothed it.
Overall it was ok, it was a better drink than plain ol water. But the coffee I liked better.
HOWEVER Chaga is a superfood known for immune support, and I am ALLLLLLL about that right now in this COVID world. So I would totally add this. They do have other drinks with Chaga in them I will probably try vs. just the elixir itself. They have a chaga coffee with cordyceps which I think might be the perfect combo. Or maybe I could just add this into my lions mane coffee… theres an idea.
PM Drink -Mushroom Cacao with Reishi
THIS IS MY FAVE.
I am all about that chill life. (yes I am a trainer but a girl has to decompress). I added some coconut milk and wait for it….. stevia with it and hot water and frothed. It was great! Just like a relaxing hot cacao.
Reishi is known for relaxing properties and helping de-stress. So I am all for it. Definitely recommend this at night to help you relax before bed.
AM the NEXT DAY – Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps
This one gave me a little more energy vs focus, so pretty cool.
Made it just like the day before with the lions mane coffee but I also added the chaga elixir and I gotta say I think it was a good mix. So I got the energyAND the immune help.
The taste was just basically like the day before. I would recommend this one before a workout or any physical activity or when you just need more of a pick me up.
Overall I would highly recommend giving them a try!
Anything that is an easy Add in VS a restriction for health is SO Much better than restriction. I tell my clients that all the time and try to live by that too. They also have other products like the newly launched protein which I will be trying next. It is packed full of nutrients and plant protein, and based on the other stuff I have tried I expect nothing but goodness from it.
If you want to try any of this out for yourself – you can save 10% with Code CANDICECFITNESS at checkout or just use this link and shop! I will also be posting a review on Youtube so watch for it!! Let me know if you have any questions!
You may know or you may not, I feel like a hypocrite alot. That is not an easy thing to say but I am saying that first and foremost….
Why do I feel this way? For starters because I work with people all day to get healthy to make better choices in relation to fitness and health and their overall wellbeing. Yet I am ALWAYS sick! (or so it seems).
I try to lead by example, I eat healthy, I do research, I try to get enough sleep, I try to listen to my body, I try to take all the right supplements….. yet here I am. Living with off and on RA flares, stomach issues that come and go, thyroid conditions, anxiety, and other hormonal stuff.
I was diagnosed with RA when I was in college and since that day I feel like my health has been an up and down roller coaster. My immune system doesn’t like a lot of stuff, my joints are ok then they are not which makes it hard to workout. After years of harsh meds to treat it and make my immune system calm down I think it has wrecked havoc on other things (like my gut and hormones and adrenals- which btw can all be affected by the gut being off).
I have done tests, I even had a gosh awful colonoscopy and was told I was, “ok”.
The more I learn about functional medicine and natural medicine and finding the underlying root cause verses just “covering up the symptoms” the more it intrigues me. The more I learn about the gut and how conventional medicines like antibiotics, steroids, birth control, and immuno suppressants affect it the more intrigued I am.
So here I am, taking that step and getting functional testing done. Working with a functional doctor here in Atlanta to look at it ALL. To see if my gut is really affected and part of the cause of my RA, my hormones, my anxiety, etc. It is fascinating to me and I am excited to find out. Not only because once we do we can start a treatment affecting the root causes of this stuff instead of what I have been doing for years.
Does this mean I am going to cold turkey stop all my other treatments? Absolutely not, I will work with all my doctors to figure out the best plan of action for me. Hopefully slowly weaning off all of this junk.
I want to take you guys on this journey. I want to share that I am human just like you and if you have anything similar going on I hope you can learn from it.
So stay tuned and be sure to sign up to follow along if you haven’t already with my youtube channel and email list to get latest updates on it all.
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