Day 16 Thoughts and My New Discovery: Caramel Chai!

Day 16 on the Ultimate Reset!!!!  Only FIVE days left!!!!  I've finally started to allow myself to think about "life after Reset"!! :)  Obviously, I don't want to throw my efforts away and start eating junk again!  No way!  I will continue eating similar foods but starting to add in some lean protein as well.  And yes, I probably will have an occasional cup of coffee.  Meanwhile, I am surviving without coffee!  I learned that while on the Reset, you are allowed herbal tea and that was a life-saver for me!  I only had a little tea left and living where things are limited in the stores, I searched online for a good tea that would ship here.  And this is what I found:  Caramel Chai Red Tea!  It's caffeine free, Vegan, organic, fair trade, and gluten free.  I kind of expected it to be taste-free too, but it was REALLY good!  I've found a new favorite!  This particular brand had lots of wonderful sounding teas like Chocolate Chai and Hazelnut Chai.  Can't wait to try them all!  

My Newest Favorite Black Bean Recipe

Day 14 on the Ultimate Reset!!!  I've got a recipe for you to try!  Last night's dinner menu included Edamame and Roasted Corn Succotash.  Well, on our little island in the middle of nowhere, we can't get edamame SO I had to improvise.  I made the same recipe but substituted black beans!  It was delicious!  And for those of you who have followed my blog for any time at all know I LOVE any recipe with black beans!  So here's my version of the Succotash:

Black Bean and Roasted Corn Succotash

3/4 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup frozen corn, cooked and drained
1/2 shallot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (I had to use dried as I can't get fresh cilantro here)
Himalayan salt and herbal seasoning (to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and arrange corn in single layer on baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes, or until caramelized and beginning to brown but not harden.  Remove and let cool.  Saute onion, shallot, and bell pepper in oil for 10 minutes or until soft.

Add corn and black beans to onion mixture; cook on medium for 5 minutes.  Add vinegar and removed from heat.  Stir in lime juice, cilantro, salt, and seasoning.  Serves 1.  (I quadrupled the recipe for my family).  

Enjoy!

Detox!!!

Today is Day 13 of the Ultimate Reset for me!!!  I really can't believe I made it this far!  And I haven't cheated once...at all!!!!  This is HUGE for me (those of you who know me well are probably in shock that I've actually gone 13 days without chocolate or coffee!)!  I have to admit, at this point, I am SO ready for this to be done.  Week 2 for me has been much more difficult than the first week.  The first week I had lots of energy and felt really motivated to get things done.  This week, well, let's just say I need a major pep talk to just move from one room to another.  I have no appetite whatsoever, which is very unusual for me, but really probably a good thing.  I have to remember my body is detoxing and it take's a toll on your system.  There's a good reason why I feel so blah this week!  On the up side, I've lost 5 lbs, have ZERO cravings, never feel hungry anymore, and am learning to like some foods I never thought I'd like (and my kids have too!).  This week is the "Release" phase which means adding in the Detox supplement.  The first day was SO hard to get it down.  It looked like I was drinking a glass of mud.  And actually, kind of tasted like it too!  But by about day 3 of using the detox, I didn't notice the taste at all and just chugged it right on down.  Doesn't bother me at all now, though I will be glad to be finished with it tomorrow! ;)  

Ok, so maybe some of you who have followed my Ultimate Adventure of Detoxing are wondering, why on earth would anyone WANT to do this!?  Here's the thing:  we're often bombarding our systems with junk food, stress, overworking, toxins, you name it.  Think this has no affect on our bodies?  Think again!  What the Ultimate Reset is according to Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler: "It's a 21 day program that retrains your body how to heal itself and teaches you how to eat clean.  Over the course of this 21 days you won't exercise, but you will gain more energy, lose weight, dump toxins that are stored in and inhibiting the release of excess fat, and refresh all your natural energy systems."  Sounds good to me!  I knew this is exactly what my body needed right now, and even though it's tough, I WILL stick it out!  Want to join me?  Contact me or visit www.MyUltimate Reset.com/sueannk to take a look at the program!

You Don't Have To Go It Alone! (Why I Am a Coach!)

I've had lots of people ask why I became a coach, and I'm sure I've probably given quite a variety of answers. There really are a lot of reasons why I do what I do and this is something I've been reflecting on quite a bit lately.  Why do I coach?  I coach because I have a passion for health and fitness.  I coach because I love helping others. I coach because it keeps me motivated long after I normally would have given up.  I coach because of the joy I get when a client hits their goal weight or reaches a longed-for milestone.  I coach because of the thrill that comes with belonging to such an awesome community of like-minded people.  I coach because it breaks my heart to see people age before their time because of poor health choices and see the suffering it brings to their loved ones.  I coach because of the relief I can see in clients as they realize they don't have to do this alone.  And while this reason may sound like a strange one to some of you, I coach because I know this is what God wants me to do.  This isn't a 'job' to me.  This is a huge part of my calling in life!  And I wouldn't want it any other way!

In Health,

For free Coaching in Health and Fitness, contact me and I can help you get started on a path to better health.  I can also get you started in one of my 90 Day Challenge Groups!!  Message me!  Don't put it off another day!

Day 6 of My Ultimate Adventure!

I've made it through six days!!!!!  It's hard to believe it's been six days already!  And what a six days it's been! Life happens and things have come up that have put a lot of stress on our family this past week, but I'm happy to say, I have stuck to the Ultimate Reset plan 100%!  

I really felt great the first 5 days.  Today I was a little tired feeling though, but after a busy weekend, that's not really surprising.  I just felt a little off today, but other than that, I'm very happy with the results so far.  I've lost 3 lbs. so far, my clothes are fitting better, my rings are even looser, I seem to be able to think more clearly which has resulted in getting more accomplished, and really just feel better overall.

I've gotten acquainted with some foods I had never tried before and I found I really like them!  I've found I love quinoa, raw cashews, and Himalayan salt.  I've found I'm not too crazy about the Alkalinize green drink (but I have chugged it down all six days and it DOES get easier each time) or steamed kangkong (what we're having to substitute for spinach and kale since those aren't available on our island).  I've found I obviously had an addiction to evening snacking, which has been difficult to give up, as well as coffee, and I've found that I really can go to bed at night without my cell phone by my bed (yes, that actually is part of the cleanse - no cell phones or other electronics in the room where you sleep!).  My kids have learned to try new foods and my husband lost 10 lbs and he's technically not even doing the cleanse! (Yes, I'm a little jealous on that one!).  So overall, so far it's been a great experience for our whole family.  

Tonight's meal included something that sounded so strange to me:  Zucchini-Cashew Soup!  But believe me, it is SO good!  So I'm sharing the recipe for you to give it a try.  Enjoy!

Zucchini-Cashew Soup

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into chunks and steamed
¼ cup raw cashews
Himalayan salt or Bragg® Liquid Aminos (to taste)
Herbal seasoning or fresh herbs, like basil or dill (optional; to taste)
Steamed vegetables (optional; for chunky soup)

Directions
Soak cashews in enough water to cover for 1 hour; drain. Combine cashews, zucchini, salt or aminos, and seasonings in blender and mix until smooth, adding water as needed for desired consistency. Pour into saucepan and reheat gently, but do not boil. For chunky soup, add steamed chopped vegetables of your choice. Can also be served cold. Serves 1.

Nutrition

250 calories
17 g fat
3.5 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
30 mg sodium
21 g carbohydrate
4 g fiber
9 g protein
1,036 mg potassium

My Ultimate Adventure!

And the Adventure begins!!!  I started Day 1 of the Ultimate Reset yesterday and so far, everything's going great!  The Ultimate Reset is a 21 day complete reset for your body.  I've been looking forward to this adventure and will posting about my journey here, so you can get an idea of what it's like too!  If you want to join me, let me know!  I would love company on this journey!  

Day 1

A lot of people I know that have been doing the  Ultimate Reset have complained of severe headaches the first few days.  Surprisingly, I haven't had any!  I have felt great, actually.  I was a little tired and draggy in the afternoon but took a bit of a nap and felt back to normal.  I think part of the reason for not having headaches (or maybe all) is the fact that I weaned myself from coffee last week rather than waiting and quitting cold-turkey  in one day.  Huge difference!  The food has been amazing!  Breakfast was 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices whole wheat toast, and steamed kangkong (the meal plan calls for steamed spinach or kale, both of which we can't get here on our island, so I substituted with kangkong which is very similar to spinach).  Lunch was a beautiful salad with a homemade vinaigrette dressing.  Dinner was stir fry veggies with quinoa and cucumber and tomato salad.  Delicious!!!  And I actually can't even finish all the food!  The only down side to the cleanse so far has been the Alkalinize drink - nasty tasting stuff!

Here's a short video of my description of Day 1:

Day 2

Today has been the second day and I still feel great.  Breakfast was 1 cup cooked oatmeal, a mango (scheduled for blueberries but again, cannot get those here!), and 1/2 cup plain yogurt with a drizzle of maple syrup.  Again, delicious AND filling!  Lunch was Quinoa Salad, raw veggie plate, and hummus, again, very filling.   Looking forward to dinner tonight!  

Day 2 Lunch!

Have a great day!  And check back later for more updates on my Adventure!

Blueprints!

This morning in my daily Bible reading time, something that really stuck out to me was Proverbs 4:26 & 27: "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left..."  This caught my attention particularly since 'planning' has been on my mind a lot lately.  It's easy to get lost in the day-to-day ups and downs of motherhood and just life in general.  It's easy to lose sight of who we are and what we're supposed to do when the "have-to's" far outweigh the "want-to's".  It's easy to find ourselves trying to "just get through one more day" in the midst of diapers, laundry, meal preparation, house work, and more.  It's easy to start to feel like we're losing our "identity" after endless nights of walking the floors with a fussy baby.  Believe me, I've been there!  Ummm, ok, I'm STILL there!   So these verses gave me hope! It's all about having a blueprint for your life!   "Ponder the path of my feet" - think about what I need to do; "let all my ways be established" - plan it out, write it out!; "Turn not to the right hand nor to the left" - stick with it without veering off track!  The rewards are endless!  They're not always immediate; they're not always what we think they should be!  But when the day is done and your child exclaims, "this was the best day ever!", it's all worth it!  When you kiss that precious toddler good night and she finally says for the first time "I wuv you mommy!", it's all worth it!  When your husband compliments you on the delicious and nutritious meal you spent time preparing, it's all worth it!  When that customer you've invested your time in says, "thanks for helping me get my health back on track!", it's all worth it!  I could go on and on with the "rewards" I've experienced just this week, but you probably don't have that kind of time to sit here and read! :)  So yeah, I know we've all heard this but it's SO true:  "Plan your work and then work your plan!"  What's YOUR blueprint for your day, your week, your year, your LIFE?  

In Health,