Does This Makes Sense to You

What does that mean to you? Have you been looking for a magic pill that will achieve your fitness results? Have you tried every “get fit quick, melt fat fast” gimmick, trick, tip, and diet out there?

Let me encourage you before I make my next statement – if you’re determined to fit into your ‘dream body,’ it CAN be done! You CAN do it!

But a pill, wrap, diet, shake, book, etc isn’t the answer. YOU are the answer.

• YOU have to get ‘it’ together!
• YOU have to love your body enough to make it healthy.
• YOU have to put in some hard work.
• YOU have to dedicate your life to a new way of feeling, living, acting, eating.

Does that make sense to you? YOU are the key to your own success.

Hopscotch Family Company is holding a Book Club Reading of “Thin is the New Happy.” Purchase your book here and then join us on Facebook. (We’ll do live Google Hang-outs for long distance book clubbers.)

 

Feeding America

It’s hard enough, as a middle-class family, to find good, nutritious food that I am confident has been grown in a responsible, chemical-free manner. Watch this video to see what this young kid discovered about our food (supply) chain…

Now consider this – what if you didn’t have access to ANY fresh food? What if you only ate out of cans and boxes? You would live, of course, but your quality of life wouldn’t be what it could be, if you did have access to fresh produce. That’s where Feeding America comes in. This is from their website.

Millions of pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables are ready for harvest — but to make sure they reach food banks and families in fresh condition, we must act quickly.

Thanks to a special matching challenge grant from the Kraft Foods Foundation every dollar you donate will help provide 20 pounds of food to men, women and children struggling with hunger.

When it comes to freshness, every moment counts. Don’t wait — Please donate today.

Feeding America.

Please consider donating. Thanks.

Father’s Day Grocery List

They say, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.“

And that is true on more than a few levels!

Below you’ll find a grilled fruit and vegetable menu that will satisfy any Dad’s hunger. These delicious dishes are packed with good-for-your-heart nutrients that not only make Dad feel loved and appreciated, but actually work to make his heart healthier.

Here is the grocery list:

Click here to get the step-by-step preparation instructions.

Mediterranean Pressed Picnic Sandwich
□ 1 small eggplant
□ 1 small zucchini
□ 1 small yellow squash
□ 1 large loaf ciabatta bread
□ ⅓ cup prepared pesto (check the pasta aisle. This is a green sauce made from basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese)
□ ⅓ cup prepared tapenade (may be found in the deli. It’s a paste or dip made from black olives and capers.)
□ ½ cup sliced roasted red peppers (these may be near the olives and pickles. Purchase the slice variety to save time.)
□ 1 8-oz. package fresh mozzarella (found in the deli. Fresh mozzarella comes in large or small round balls that float in water. Very light, very delicious.)

Shrimp and Cucumber Stuffed Avocado Salad
□ 1 or 2 juice oranges
□ 2 limes (soft ripe)
□ 1 ½ cups frozen, pre-cooked baby shrimp
□ 3 tbsp fresh mint, plus more for garnish
□ ¼ cup cilantro, plus more for garnish
□ 1 package of queso fresco
□ 1 medium cucumber
□ 3 plum tomatoes
□ 3 avocados, ripe but still firm
□ 4 cups shredded romaine (I buy a package of 3 heads & shred it myself)

Grilled Fruit with Caramelized Orange Sauce
□ 1 or 2 juice oranges
□ 2 large peaches or nectarines
□ 2 ripe but firm bananas
□ 1 pineapple (buy the already peeled & cored pineapple to save time!)

Things you need but probably already have in the pantry:
□ olive oil
□ balsamic vinegar
□ fresh ground black pepper
□ sea salt
□ sugar
□ canola oil

Loads of Veggies & Fruits!

Well, yesterday was a fasting day for me. The rest of my family ate very well. I don’t remember what was on the menu because I was focused on not cheating. I did VERY well! Yay, me! No cheats. I followed the cleanse day instructions to a “t”.

But today – today’s lunch was PACKED full of fruits and vegetables! Corn, black beans, cilantro, pineapple, bananas, peaches, green bell peppers, mixed greens, tomatoes, lemons and oranges. (Told you it was loaded!)

We had grilled fruit and vegetable enchiladas. My favorite part of the meal was the grilled bananas. No kidding! Who’d have thought that tossing a fresh banana on an open flame would make it so much more delicious?

Anyway, we’re all stuffed – and there were plenty of left overs for tonight! So, we’re headed to the library then to the playground. What is everyone else up to this weekend?

30 Days to a Pure Body

Guess what? My family is moving towards a “pure lifestyle.” I’ve detoxified my home – ridding it of chemical cleaners and making my own all-natural cleaners. I’ve started making all of our skin care and hair care products from organic, all natural ingredients. We’re growing our vegetables in the back yard and choosing to purchase what we haven’t grown, from a local organic farm.

The next step to becoming truly “pure” is to detoxify our bodies.

Why?

I’ll tell you why I’m doing it:
I’ve chosen to do a 30 day nutritional cleanse because I KNOW that my eating hasn’t always been very healthy.
I know that I’ve eaten a lot of ingredients that I can’t pronounce (and honestly had no idea why they were in my food.)
I know that where I live isn’t the cleanest, smog-free area on the planet.
I know that antibiotics and prescription medications have leeched into the water supply.
I know that herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals have been used on the foods I eat.
I know that my body has been defending itself by collecting these toxins in visceral fat around my organs…and I know that visceral fat kills.

So, I’m choosing to cleanse my body of the impurities and bring my body back to a more natural state.

While I’m not doing this to get rid of weight – I wouldn’t mind the added benefit of releasing it and getting leaner.

Here are my Day 1 Measurements (all measurements are in inches):

Neck: 12 1/2
Left Upper Arm: 11 1/4
Right Upper Arm: 11
Chest: 33 1/4
Diaphragm: 28 3/4
Waist: 27 1/2
Abdomen: 30 1/2
Buttocks: 37
Left Upper Thigh: 22
Right Upper Thigh: 22 1/4
Left Calf: 14 1/4
Right Calf: 14 1/2
Left Upper Knee: 16
Right Upper Knee: 16

I don’t know what my starting weight is. I don’t own a scale – don’t really believe in them.

So what did I do today? Today was a shake day. So, I woke up this morning and drank my Ionix Supreme. Then I prepared shakes for the family and I. After that we went to the park. I did a 15 minute HIIT workout, then chilled for a second watching the kiddos play. We came home, I prepared lunch for the family and made my second shake for the day. For my snack, I took one of the Natural Accelerator capsules with a big cup of water. (It is all natural and doesn’t contain ephedra or caffeine.) The kids had pitas and hummus for their afternoon snack, I had a Isagenix Snack wafer. BTW, I LOVE these things. They taste like chocolate cake batter! Mmmmmm. Okay, then for dinner, I made fresh pasta sauce with whole wheat noodles.

It was a good day. I didn’t notice any hunger pangs. I didn’t drink as much water as I should have, but I will keep track tomorrow. I felt really good after my workout. My triceps are a bit sore right now…but I’ll make it!

Oh, I’m modifying the plan so that I’m not cleansing on the same day as my hubby. So I will be cleansing on Day 3.

Bring on Day 2!