Pizza Salad

Enjoyed my dinner al fresco, tonight! 

So two quick facts: 1. Most everyone loves pizza. Right? And 2. Most everyone hates salad? I know I'm right on that one. 

But here's the thing. Any nutritionist or trainer will tell you how important it is to have a big green salad every day. Not to lose weight (although it is a plus to it!) but because the leafy greens have so many good nutrients in there, it's a no brainer. 

So now, the trick is to come up with more tasty combinations than your average, boring house salads. Since going strictly paleo, my mom and I have stumbled upon enough different ways to make a salad, it's not only different every day, but now we crave them and can't wait. 

Tonight's salad was no exception. And it's so super simple, too! Start with whatever greens you want (spinach, kale, etc), now add pepperoni, olives (I love both kinds!!), mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and lastly, grate some fresh Parmesan or asiago cheese. Easy! And you don't even need dressing. But as with most of my salads, I added a sprinkle of salt and drizzled a little avocado oil. 

Enjoy! 

Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil

I find it a little ironic that an old Indian practice dating back over a thousand years ago is making its way back around and becoming trendy again; and yet still there are many people who have never heard of it: oil pulling. 

If you stand with a group of friends and bring it up, maybe only one or two of them have heard about it or tried it. The benefits though, are rewarding enough to make you wonder why you haven't been doing it all along.

So what is oil pulling, exactly? The most common oil is coconut, but sesame and sunflower oil also work well. 

Step 1: On an empty stomach, take 2-3 teaspoons (I just grab a spoon from the drawer and eyeball it) of your oil (most grocery stores are carrying organic now, but if you can't find any, I love Tropical Traditions brand and you can order it online!) and start swishing it in your mouth. 

Step 2: Do not gargle and do not swallow any. When you have finished, there will be bacteria and toxins pulled into the oil and you will not want to swallow any of it! This should take you 15-20 minutes. If this is too hard for you, try doing it for a few minutes and work your way up. 

Step 3: Once you are finished, spit it all into the trash can. Rinse your mouth out and brush your teeth and gums really well. 

My favorite time to oil pull is when I'm showering, while no one is talking to me! 

To get even more out of your oil pulling, you can add essential oils. Here are some I've found to be great additions:

Peppermint: Known for its cool, minty flavor, this is great to combat bad breath. If you're doing it in the morning, it will also give you a little boost of energy to start your day.

Purification Essential Oil: This is a blend of citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, melaleuca, lavadin, and myrtle. This has many cleaning benefits. 

Melaleuca: Better known as the popular Tea Tree Oil. This oil is undoubtedly great for your teeth and mouth, as well as leaves your mouth feeling extra clean and fresh. 

Frankincense: Surprised? I guess the wisemen wanted baby Jesus to have great oral hygeine! haha! (ok, you don't have to laugh at that....sorry....) But seriously, this is great for keeping germs at bay and helps with any mouth discomfort (think dental work!). 

Thieves: This is a powerhouse oil made up of close, lemon, cinnamon bark, rosemary, and eucalyptus radiata. Theives has numerous attributes, among them relieving bad breath and ridding the mouth of germs. 

Lemon: Just like when you drink water with lemon, this is a great cleansing and detoxifying agent. 

Besides being able to cut out the dyes, flouride, SLS, triclosan, and artificial flavors of the common mouth wash, oil pulling has tremendous benefits.

• Helps with skin issues
• Migraines and headaches
• Sinus infections
• Hormone problems
• Arthritis pain
• Allergies
• Increased oral health
• Reduced plaque on teeth
• Reduced bad breath
• Decreased joint pain and suffering
• Chronic pain
• Increased mental awareness
• Acne
• Elevate Mood
• Energy
• Hangover cure (so I hear! Anyone want to test it?!)
• Reduced bacteria in mouth
• Reduced Sensitivity
• May help with gastro-enteritis
• Improved vision
• Reduce insomnia
• Reduced liver and kidney stress
• Reduced chemical load
• Reduced gum disease
• Whitens teeth
• Increased overall phyiscal health
• Immune health

After all this, how could you not want to try this? It's totally relaxing and the time seems to fly by. For those who are skeptical, just give it a shot. Comment below if you try it and let me know what changes you find for yourself! I highly recommend it! 

The Bread of Life

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believe in Me shall never thirst."  -John 6:35

One thing I have learned from running is that your conditions are rarely never ideal. It's either too windy, too hot, too cold, or raining. If the weather is perfect- you probably didn't get a good sleep last night. Or maybe you had to skip lunch and won't be able to eat enough before your run. Maybe your knee is still bothering you from your long run a couple days ago. A big part of learning to run for me is how to condition my body to prepare for my next run. 

What I take from the verse tonight as I read my devotion is that we cannot concentrate on our problems. As runners, or just athletes in general, how many times have we heard that it's all a mental game? It's all in your head. So why not focus on the Father? Let Jesus be our strength. Let Him fuel your run. Sure, you need your water and your carbs and your sleep. But the next time you feel tired on your run, remember that Jesus is your fuel, and you'll never run out. 

Today's run was 3 easy miles in the park with a friend. Nothing amazing, just good social time. 😄 

Pictured above 👆 my Brooks Mach 14 Spikelss shoes- if you've ever thought about trying minimalist shoes- I highly recommend it! They are great for anyone who has feet/knee injuries, shin splints, blah blah. But listen to me when I say to break them in slow! They advise to build up slowly to your normal running mileage- walk a lot! I didn't listen and the only way I can describe the pain in my feet would be in a car wreck/blender. Seriously. 

Oceans

I'm a few days late on this, but I had the most incredible run the other morning. And the crazy thing is, it was on the treadmill. I'm sure I'm in the top percentile of all runners when I say I hate the treadmill. It hurts my knees, and when I run at home, its even worse than the gym...instead of watching my treadmill TV, I stare at the tractor because its in the workshop. Borrrrrinnnnnnggggg.

For this run though, I tested out running to a new song. Its been a favorite for a while, and I thought it would give me strength to press on. I'm a little less than a month from my race now, and I'm hungry. Starving, really. I WANT this win. I've wanted it for a year now. A lot has changed since last year. I'm not moved in my house yet like I thought I would be- which is actually why I thought I could sign up for this race- because I would have plenty of time to train. ....Surprise! I thought I would have extra time to run since I was finished giving my free time to painting and pulling up floor and....whatever else has taken my time to renovate my house. (COMPLETELY restore it, I may add!)

So this run, though. I'm trying to figure out how my negative splits can time out for my race. The more I run, the better I get at racing. I don't mean that as in, 'I'm getting in better shape.' Well, duh. No, I mean I need to stop going out too fast and wearing out too soon in my race.

So for this run, the song is "Oceans" by Hillsong. Part of the lyrics are- 

• "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

  Let me walk upon the waters

  Wherever You would call me

  Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

  And my faith will be made stronger

  In the presence of my Savior"

This really pushes me when I'm feeling weak. Yes, I run and work out as much as I can, and I would say I'm in pretty good shape. Yay for me. That's me pushing myself to succeed. But none of this could be done without my Savior. I am nothing. I am a lazy couch potato who loves pizza. I pray for strength and perseverance. 

I'm pretty stubborn by nature, but I'm also weak. If I haven't had enough sleep, I'm hungry, its hot, its windy.....those all also pretty good excuses for a walk break. If you catch me in the right mood, I can push on. If not....oh well. Its too hot to really run this much, even if it is a race. 

Everyone finds inspiration from different things. I'm happy I've found that this song pushes me more to be stronger and better, and remember to rely on the Lord for strength and stamina. 

I ran 3.1 this day, and my splits were 9 minutes, 8:30, and for the last mile, I ran at an 8 min pace for the first half mile, and then each .1 mile, I increased the speed by 1. For the last .2 mile of my "race" I ran at 7:30 pace until I was done. I love finishing my runs pushing myself every now and then, to know I can do it, and to prepare myself for when its actually a race. 

With all the knee pain I've suffered in the past and having to taking breaks from running to rest my IT band, I'm so thankful I can run without hesitation now. I could say my clean diet with paleo and drinking plenty of water is giving me that, but I know its also a gift from God. Thank you, more than I could ever express.

Paleo Sausage Biscuits

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed my breakfast this morning! Over the course of 2014, my parents and I all made the choice to change our diets to gluten free and then later, paleo. My parents went hardcore from the beginning and noticed significant changes in their health (more on that in a different post!) while I.... Had a few more cheat meals. Unfortunately for me, being a restaurant manager where we have some of the most AMAZING (aka, unbutton your pants fattening!) southern food makes it that much harder to eat right. 

This month, I am doing NO cheat meals, just to completely get gluten and toxins out of my body... And then I can reintroduce "cheat" foods later to see how my body reacts. 

The misconception with paleo (or gluten free too if you only wanted to make that change) is that everyone thinks you will be horribly limited in what you can eat, or it will taste bland and boring. NO WAY! This is the first time in my mom's entire life where she has enjoyed cooking- and it's because she's finally using real, fresh ingredients, and it tastes amazing. 

I want to keep sharing our recipes- but to start off, this is one of the most simple foods you could think of. And on a "diet" too! 

I can write another post later going into more detail, but animal fat IS good for you if you aren't also taking in processed fats! Seriously- my mom eats either sausage or bacon with her breakfast every morning and has lost 30 pounds she didn't even know she needed to lose. That's so contradictory to anything we've ever been taught. 

www.primalgirl.com

Click above- this is a link to the biscuits- we use tapioca flour! It does taste different, but I really prefer this to anything with refined flours! I also use this to make "yeast" rolls, crackers, and pizza dough... Yummm!! Paleo is only restrictive any boring if you don't do your homework! But as for me, I'm eating the most delicious food I've ever tried, and it's healthy! 

Hope if anything actually reads this hehe, you enjoy it! 

Fasted Cardio...Why even go there?

Hi, I'm Erin, and I have a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with cardio. But, this half marathon I'm training for? Yeah, gotta fit in the extra cardio. Do I like it? Heck no. Would I rather be lifting something heavy, you betcha. But, gotta suck it up and do it. 

Got up this morning and got in fasted cardio. Here's the thing. If I've gotten enough sleep, I am your most obnoxious, cheerful morning person. But if I don't get my 8-9 hours of sleep, I am probablyyyyyyy comparable to the devil before I have my coffee. So with that said, I'm trying to get back in my morning routine of waking up at 5 and getting started. Anywhoooo. Yes. Fasted cardio.

For those of you who have never tried it, it actually is better than it sounds. Yes, you are up before your brain is, and you're working out before breakfast. But there's the key- do it before your brain realizes what you're doing! 

Here are  some of the benefits to fasted cardio:

• Burn extra calories throughout the day 
• Forces your body to use fat as an energy source (taps into those stubborn areas, like hips and thighs for women/lower abs for men)
• Burn more fat on empty stomach than with pre-workout meal hours beforehand
• While fasting and while exercising, your body releases HGH (human growth hormones), which prevents muscle being burned as an energy source 

This is from both researching the subject, and my own experience. This is totally just my opinion that fasted cardio is beneficial. Many academic types would argue it has adverse effects, and this has been a controversial topic for some time. While both sides have merit, I choose to believe it does have benefits from seeing results in myself. My advice to you? If you're really on the fence, check your own results. Just measure your body fat and calculate your lean mass. This goes for all aspects of fitness- the case studies are still fairly new, and all of the experts all have their own opinions based on their research. How do you know what to believe? Stick with what is working for you personally.

Whether fasting or not, to make your cardio count, you've got to add intensity. The joke about the girls who go into the gym and come out looking just as good as they went in- its true. You've got to work up a sweat and really work for those results, or they won't come. Its all up to you! I like to throw HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts in my weekly routine at least 2-3 times a week. No one likes cardio, but it IS vital to every person's fitness journey, no matter the goals. 

Positive Advertising Verses Competitive Bashing

Here's my thought for the day; and I see this all the time, which is what inspired me to write about it. I think there's such a significant difference in marketing your business, verses bashing your competition. If your product or service is worth investing in, you shouldn't have to highlight the flaws of your competitors. This goes the same for politicians. I don't care how good your policies are, or your records...I will have so much more respect for you and a willingness to vote for you if you are concentrating more on showing the public what good qualities you can bring to the people, instead of bringing out the opposing team's dirty laundry. 

I am a consultant for Arbonne, and I love the company and the products. I stand behind everything Arbonne believes in because I have seen the high standards Arbonne stands by. Their integrity seems to be unmatched. We have no animal products or by-products, and it is 100% vegan certified. I could go on for hours on why I believe Arbonne is scientifically second to none. That difference is what made me start using the products in the first place- long before I made the decision to join the company. We have no rendered products, and I have personally seen life changing results in myself, my family, and my clients. I am tremendously proud of this company, and love sharing the products and what I have learned with others. 

Because of the biased opinion I've developed for Arbonne, it is safe to say you will not catch me buying other popular brands for very specific scientifically researched reasons. I do not, however, feel the need to point out those brands on my facebook posts, or mention the companies in my presentations. Arbonne International stresses greatly to we consultants a high code of ethics, another reason I love Arbonne. They do not want us pointing out flaws of other companies. We have products that speak for themselves, and there's just really no need. 

I tell you this, not to promote my Arbonne business, (but hey, if you want to check it out, who am I to stop you?)  but to show you that when you are truly passionate about whatever product you are selling, or service you provide, that is enough. Your passion shows. I am truly in love with Arbonne, and I believe that when I talk about Arbonne, the positive light will have more of an influence on my sales than if I went around bashing other companies. Sure, it can be tempting, but it is not as effective. Doing what is right always wins in the end.

Baked Crispy Brussels Sprouts

This is such a easy recipe. 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Cut Brussels Sprouts  in half lengthwise. 
3. In a bowl (or ziplock bag), add olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
4. Roll the brussels sprouts around in your mixture, and lay flat on a baking sheet. *I always put aluminum foil down, less to clean up later!
5. Bake around 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven! I like them a little brown on top, it doesn't mean they are burnt! I also turn the pan around about halfway through, just because my oven cooks a little uneven. 

So yummy and healthy, I normally eat them all right away!

Why You Experiment with smoothies!

So the other day when I got home from the gym, I started making my protein shake, and decided to mix it up a little. I love trying new things, and sometimes when you mix weird ingredients together, you get something amazing. Other times, your drink is nasty and you swear to never tell a soul you tried such a horrid combination. That's what I thought I would have the other night. Here's how my smoothie started:

• A lot of the time, I will put greek yogurt and almond milk as my smoothie staples. 
• I've been seeing people add oatmeal and decided to give it a go.
• I've never put pears in my smoothie, but had one in the fridge so I cut it up and added it.
• Sometimes when I make smoothies with oranges, I'll add in ginger and I love it, so in it went. I use a ginger paste, by the way. So much easier.
• Then I got to my last ingredient- another must-have staple. My chocolate vegan protein from Arbonne. Pears, chocolate, and ginger? I would have bet my first-born child (if I actually had kids) that it was be disgusting and going down the drain.

End result- it was AHHHH-MAZING. It definitely tasted different, but I will for sure make it again. Don't be afraid to try new things- you never know what you're missing out on!

Easy Breakfast Ideas- Egg Whites on English Muffin

As much as I love to meal prep, I do love a good hot breakfast. But who has time in the morning? I just got this egg cooker from Pampered Chef. It. Is. AWESOME!!!! 

1. Pour your egg whites (or a whole egg, whichever you like) in one side of the bowl. Yes, I know it looks like a dog bowl! Cracks me up! Anyways. In the other side, put another egg or water- but definitely don't leave it empty or it will crack. 

2. I put salt and pepper, but you could get creative...whatever you normally put with your eggs! Peppers, mushrooms...and microwave usually about a minute- more time for more eggs. Makes sense.

3. And voila! Toast your english muffin and you have a sandwich! Who needs McDonalds? I can make this quicker at home than sitting in line, and way cheaper too! And who knows how much more healthy.

Enjoy!

Why I love English muffins- 

• No cholesterol
• Low in saturated fat
• Good source of folate, thiamine, manganese, and selenium
• Provide a small amount of protein

Why I love egg whites-

• Lower calorie, fat, and cholesterol content than whole eggs
• Great source of protein- and same amount as in a whole egg

*The whole egg is where you find your vitamins B2, B12, D, and iron! I do still eat whole eggs as well!

Cheesy Kale Chips

One of my all time favorite snack recipes! Anytime we have a movie night..or I'm just in a snacking mood, I turn to this simple snack! It's healthy, and has that salty satisfying taste like potato chips give you. You can play with different variations (roasted red pepper flakes, garlic...) but here's my favorite- garlic and parmesan cheese!

• Set the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread the kale out on a sheet pan (I like to put aluminum foil down so there is less mess!) and use BIG pieces! 
• Spray/drizzle with olive oil evenly over kale
• Use a little bit of salt/pepper
• Cover with fresh parmesan (you can use the other kind too but it doesn't bake quite as well!)
• Sprinkle with a bit of garlic salt
• It depends on your oven, but I usually bake mine about 12 minutes, check often! I also rotate mine half way through.

YUM!

Vegan Protein

Recently, I have switched off of my whey protein to vegan. Am I totally vegan? Heck no! I love meat. This protein source is the bomb though! (are people still saying the bomb? ...hmm)

I switched to Arbonne Essentials Chocolate Protein Mix. 

At first I was a little skeptical how it was going to taste, and I'm not going to lie...it has a different taste to it. Its pretty dang good though! And way better than whatever beefhead crap my brother drinks after his workouts. 

So here's why I like it-

When it says vegan, it is actually a pea protein- made of pea, rice, and cranberry proteins. Sounds strange, I know, but it is highly absorbable and easily digestible. When the pea protein is combined with the cranberry and rice proteins, it provides a full amino acid score- very important! Pea protein provides essential amino acids and is a good source of the amino acids arginine and glutamine (those words sound familiar, my fitness enthusiasts?). It is also a good source of glutamic acid and branched chain amino acids (leucine + valine + isoleucine). Arginine participates in the supply of nitric acid and branched chain amino acids, which are essential amino acids that need to be supplied by the diet. 

In this protein, there are 20 grams of protein (which has been proven is the amount your body needs after a good workout!) and 21 essential vitamins and minerals and plenty of other beneficial nutrients. Also included in the ingredients are coenzyme 20 and ginseng. 

It contains no artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors; as well as no cholesterol. It is also forumulated with no gluten or fructose. That is awesome! I hate when all these big name whey proteins boast about all the good stuff in their product, but fail to mention all the chemicals they add. NO THANKS!

Here are some other sources you can find vegan protein-

• legumes
• nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, filberts, hemp seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts-black)
• spirulina (nutrient-rich, blue-green algae)

Arbonne

I do my research. My skin has been horrible my entire teenage/adult life. Until now. I tried everything under the sun and nothing ever helped. I didn't think Arbonne would either, but it did. When I learned what made Arbonne so different, I made the decision right then I was switching everything over. So did my mom, my aunt, my other aunt..even my 19 year old brother who is "too manly" to use products uses Arbonne now.

This is why we love it!

ARBONNE PRODUCTS

Arbonne's premium skin care products are formulated in Switzerland at the Arbonne Institute of Research and Development (AIRD) and made in the U.S.A.

Our proprietary formulas are:
*Botanically-based
*PH correct- not just PH balanced
*Hypoallergenic
*Dermatologist tested
*Never tested on animals
*Formulated without animal products or by-products
*Formulated without mineral oil
*Formulated without dyes or chemical fragrances

Arbonnes product line is represented by Independent Consultants who used to be employed in the following fields: Dermatologists, Aestheticians, Plastic Surgeons, Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, and Professional Makeup Artists.

Scientifically Advanced Nutritional Products:

Based on the same principles that propelled the success of our skin care products, Arbonne expanded into total body care with the introduction of Arbonne Essentials. Developed for every stage of life, these nutrition, weight management, fitness products are convenient, safe, backed by the latest scientific research and contain:

*The finest pharmaceutical grade ingredients
*Standarized botanicals and herbs-(Meaning you get the same quality and strength every time)
*Proprietary herbal blends that work synergistically with active components for optimal results.

Arbonne offers a complete line of Skin Care, Aromassentials, Men's Care, Baby Care, Glamour products.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE PRODUCTS ON YOUR BODY, WHY WOULD YOU NOT USE THE PRODUCTS THAT ARE PROVEN TO BE PURE, SAFE, AND BENEFICIAL TO YOU!!!

Now to the gross part...which is always my favorite part to tell people!

I love Arbonne because it works so well, obviously. But what if other products work....why would I still use Arbonne?

In Europe, they have banned over 1500 chemicals and ingredients, and considered so bad, you could go to jail or receive a huge fine....America has only banned TEN of these. Thankfully, Arbonne goes by European standards!

And if that isn't enough...who has heard of a rendering plant?

I hadn't ever heard of this either. But its where they send leftover parts from slaughterhouses, roadkill, and restaurant grease....they boil it down, and the fat that rises is called the "good juice." That's what is shipped to all of your cosmetic companies as fillers. It is in your lotions, shampoos, makeup, you name it. They have a whole episode on Dirty Jobs on rendering plants. 100 years ago, this was how the cosmetic industry got started- it was too expensive for companies to not use fillers. They don't even have to tell you there is animal in your product either unless it is an active ingredient. The word you're looking for is "propyl-paraben." Most people don't even know what it is, so when I first heard this, I found it plainly listed on almost all my products- Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Jergens were a few that I checked. 

And you know how they say to throw your makeup out after 6 months? That's how long it takes the animal in your bottle to go rancid. You know when your bottle of liquid foundation gets that line in it, and you have to shake it up? That's the animal fat separating. Unless your product says "100% Vegan," there is animal in there. 

Grossed out yet? Gotta love FDA standards. 

Neon, Neon

For my debut blog post....let's do a fun one! 

I love neon! For anyone who hates working out, my suggestion is simple- go buy something NEON! I totally forgot I had this top, I bought it on a trip to the Outer Banks last October (I crashed the men's fishing trip...it smelled horrible but I survived! That's a whole different story there...) 

No, really though. It always pumps me up in the gym and I could swear it is a form of pre-workout! Plus, it just gives this "hey, i'm friendly!" vibe. If you're going for that sort of thing. 

Life isn't meant to be taken so seriously- find things, even silly small things like this brighten your own day!