Posts by admin:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 4 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 Tablespoon NuNaturals Cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon NuNaturals Nustevia Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- 1 teaspoon NuNaturals Nustevia cocoa syrup
- 1 scoop Sunwarrior Warrior Chocolate Protein Powder
- 1 scoop greens
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 4-5 ice cubes
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One bottle of the NEW SUGAR-FREE GINGER SYRUP
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One bottle of the NEW SUGAR-FREE COCOA SYRUP
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One bottle of the NEW VANILLA SYRUP
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PLUS a 50 pkt. box of our NuStevia NO-CARBS Stevia Packets.
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In addition, each of the 4 winners will also receive a FREE BONUS item.
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The total retail value of each package is $ 70.00.
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons Nectevia
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1 orange peel
- apple cider flavored sparkling water
- 1 Tbsp Erysweet
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained
- 2 item(s) egg(s)
- ⅔ cup(s) egg white(s)
- 3 Tbsp Fructevia sugar substitute
- 5 Tbsp Monksweet+Plus
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp regular butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup(s) canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup(s) Giant Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup pumpkin canned
- 3 Tbsp Monkfruit+Plus
- Sugar-free alternatives and sweeteners
- Gluten-free options
- Ketogenic options
- Homeopathic companies that have options for toddlers
- Vegan beauty skincare and cosmetics
- Supplements for detox, cleansing, energy, and ones that supply Vitamin B12 & D.
- Coffee alternatives
- Clean and low-point and high protein snack options
- Hepatitis A and jaundice
- Gallbladder removal
- Appendectomy
- High prolactin levels ( have not looked into this yet)
Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Smoothie + Giveaway
September 27th, 2017I have partnered with Sunwarrior and NuNaturals to bring you this recipe & giveaway to you! This Pumpkin Chocolate Protein Smoothie is a great boost of protein for any morning, snack or dessert option. It is free of processed sugars, gluten-free, vegan, and raw. Affiliate links included to help support this website.
Protein: What Powers my every day
Protein. Protein. Protein. It is what I have been living by every time I go to the kitchen. I make sure that every meal and snack have some sort of protein so that my sugar level will be leveled. I have chatted in previous posts that finding out the right eating lifestyle to bring balance to my hypoglycemia has given me life. Gone are the days of just eating 2-3 meals a day. Now I eat 5 small meals a day and by God’s grace, I have lost 53 pounds.
While I would love to focus and speak to just mothers, everyone in general lives much busier lives than ever before. Planning meals and snacks ahead of time just does not happen for everyone. Convenience and fast food places continue to grow and be in high demand. But when do we realize that eating requires us to be mindful?
Truthfully, I am someone who loves quick and convenient especially with 3 toddlers. It is easier for me to jump to the drive thru lane of our favorite Chick-fil-a and grab meals for my kids and even for myself. But how many times can I do that before boredom and bad habits slip in?
Busier lifestyles and On-the-go
I have made it a habit to always have a protein smoothie with me because sometimes I do not know how long I will be at different times of the day. Sometimes I only have time to make meals for my husband and kids. A quick protein smoothie gets me the protein and energy I need until I get my next meal. I have even learned the hard way.
Weigh-in days at Weight Watchers are Wednesday mornings for me. My husband has usually prepped a meal for me to take to consume after I weigh in but it has been 9a30am and I have already been awake 2-3 hours. I have had the worst days on Wednesdays simply because I crash and burn by the time I have my meal. My whole schedule gets off and I am not a happy mom.
I started 2 weeks ago having a smoothie even before my weigh-in and it has done WONDERS!!! Not only has it made me more regular in the mornings BEFORE I weigh-in, but I am a happy, sugar-stabilized person. Who knew? This is totally about getting to know yourself.
Protein Smoothies and Where to Start
If this is you, consider adding a protein smoothie for breakfast while you get your kids ready. Have one 3 hours before dinner, so that dinner preparation will not be so stressful with kids. Or even on the way home from work, lunch feels so far away and you want to grab a bite to eat at a fast food place. Take your smoothie with you!!
Here is what I stick to for my base:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop Sunwarrior Warrior Raw Blend (various flavors)
1 scoop greens ( I alternate between Amazing Grass & Innate Women’s Greens
1/2 cup frozen berries ( the least amount of sugar)
Ice
Nunaturals NoStevia powder (optional)
Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Smoothie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
4 Weight Watchers Smartpoints a serving
Ingredients (1 smoothie)
NuNaturals Discount + Sunwarrior & NuNaturals Giveaway
I have been using NuNaturals for more than a year. Their products have been a great substitute for sugar especially since everything they make is mostly stevia-based. They also make products that are blends of stevia and erythritol, and they also offer other sugar free alternatives for those seeking to be free from processed sugar in their eating lifestyles.
Sunwarrior is another brand I have enjoyed getting to know. I have tried many protein powders and their Warrior Blend is one of my favorite so far. They have a blend of amino acids and their powders are vegan and raw. I really do not endorse something I am not really familiar with but these two brands have been a huge help in my clean eating lifestyle and I hope to help you see if they can become part of yours!
Have you been trying to look for a protein powder? Two people have a chance to win a tub of Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend. FOUR people will also win the following from NuNaturals:
NuNaturals GIVEAWAY is open WORLDWIDE and Sunwarrior is open to US readers only. Winners will be chosen through Instagram and this blog post.
Can’t wait to try their NEW Pumpkin Spice Syrup and Chai Spice Syrups???
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Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon Sidecar
September 25th, 2017
This is a recipe created for the Steviva Blogger Recipe Challenge. I was sent product to test and create one-of-a-kind recipes. I hope you enjoy this Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon Sidecar.
This weekend I anticipated the weather doing what it was supposed to do. Fall, where art thou? Summer has instead continued to linger and for now we have been enjoying the rays and getting a little more sunburn. Even so, I continue to create the fall recipes.
I have a love / hate relationship with pumpkin. The more I play around with pureed pumpkin, the more I seem to enjoy its versatility. My husband is on to me though. He can smell the spices and he knows I am up to something. Pumpkin pie is on hold until November but the Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and baked goods are calling my name.
It has been a while since I shared a cocktail with you. In reality I have not been really drinking since starting my clean eating lifestyle. I actually enjoyed more wine than I am used last weekend when I attended Expo East in Baltimore. I actually prefer beer most these days, but then again, I miss my gin and tonics.
Everyone knows that many cocktails require simple syrups and sweeteners which means more calories. Steviva has a product called Nectevia which is a blend of agave nectar with stevia and is 1/4 of the calories, carbs, and sugars than regular table sugar and agave. For every 1/2 teaspoon there are only 2 calories and 1 gram of carbs. 1 teaspoon of Nectevia equals 4 teaspoons of regular blue agave nectar.
I made a spiced mulled cider with apple juice, orange juice, water, pumpkin puree and spices and added Nectevia along with vanilla extract and chilled. When I was ready to serve I prepared two cocktails, a fall version of a typical bourbon sidecar, and added triple sec and bourbon. I then topped off each tumbler with apple cider flavored sparkling water.
If you are having friends over, this is a cocktail to prepare. Move over mulled wine or spiced cider and bring in the punch. I enjoyed the bourbon in this drink because it made it warm despite it being chilled. It was comforting with all the flavors mixed.
I created a spiced sugar to rim each glass using Steviva’s Erysweet which is a erythritol and a 1:1 replacement for table sugar. I added some pumpkin spice and mixed in the Erysweet and voila. Each drink was ready to consume.
Having trouble cutting back on sugar? Nectevia is definitely a product to try if you are having a hard trouble enjoying stevia on its own. A little goes a long way. While I do not use it for everything, I have been replacing the occasional treat with Nectevia because it is sweet.
Want to try these products? Use the code THANKYOU to save 20% when you checkout at the Steviva store.
Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon Sidecar
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Ingredients (2 cocktails) – 12 Smartpoints per glass
For Spiced Cocktail Base
For EACH Cocktail
For Sugar Rimmed Glass
Instructions
For Cocktail Base
Add all ingredients to a small pot and boil for 5 minutes. Let the juices cool and refrigerate until ready to use. If using the same day, just make sure the mix is cooled.
Cocktail Assembly
Mix the rimmed sugar with spice. Use an orange slice to moisten the edge of each tumbler and dip the glass into the sugar. Repeat with second glass.
Add 1/2 cup of the cocktail base to each glass. Add 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey and 1 ounce of triple sec to each tumbler. Add 2-3 ice cubes and top off with apple cider flavored sparkling water.
Garnish each tumbler with an orange twist.
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Spiced Pumpkin Bars with Pumpkin Frosting {Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free}
September 21st, 2017It has been a while since I have shared a recipe with you and I am so sorry. I have been selfishly holding out on you. You need this spiced pumpkin recipe, so I am sharing this as a part of the Steviva Blogger Recipe Challenge.
While we hit fall this Friday, I thought I would share this pumpkin recipe because you need it in your life. Since starting my clean eating lifestyle, having desserts was not my priority. Slowly but surely I started wanting to get back to baking. I started playing with mug cakes or one serving dessert waffles. It was time to make something fancy.
I have gotten a whole new respect for dessert that is made from beans. I tried it many years ago but I did not like it but something about different recipes and trying my hand at my own has proven to be very exciting.
Don’t stop reading this post. No really. Beans for dessert? It is HIGH protein, low-carb, and free of processed and real sugar. Since I was sent a package using Steviva products I decided to use their MonkSweet+Plus which is a blend of monk fruit, stevia and erythritol and has less than 5 net carbs per serving.
I also used Fructevia sweetened to add more sweetness to the cake. The cheese frosting is sweetened with the Monksweet+Plus and proved to be one of my favorites.
I shared this recipe with a few ladies so I could get a good opinion from them and they all liked it. One of my friends stated how the cake tasted like a steamed pudding. It is both delicious cooled after coming out of the oven or chilled in the fridge.
I added this recipe to my Weight Watchers recipe builder on my phone app and each bar is 6 smartpoints with frosting and 3 smartpoints for only the bar itself. It was so good and am sure it will be one of your favorites.
Please make this and leave a comment here letting me know how you enjoyed it. Thanks!
Spiced Pumpkin Bars with Pumpkin Frosting
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert snack low-carb vegetarian vegetarian recipes on recipage nut-free chickpeas pumpkin
Ingredients (9 bars)
For Bars
For Pumpkin Frosting
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×9 dish with olive oil spray.
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well until smooth. The batter will seem like liquid, but it is okay. Pour the batter into baking pan and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool the cake and prepare frosting.
Add frosting ingredients to blender or food processor and mix well until blended.
Frost the bars and consume. Place in fridge when not eating.
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Discovering New Healthy Products at Expo East
September 13th, 2017It is that time of year again and I am so excited to share that I will be returning to Baltimore for a 3rd time to check out the newest health products on the market. While trade shows are ideally for products for companies to include on their shelves, the time has come where even influencers and bloggers are considered important in promoting products to their readers.
As a mother of three, I am always looking for the best supplement, natural medicine, and homeopathic medication to safely treat my family. I love bringing awareness of products to my friends and readers alike. Many in fact, do not see natural medicine or healthier alternatives as options. I love sharing my awareness of these and even promoting them through every day life on my social media.
Last year, I met many companies that I felt would be a great fit for my audience as well as for my family. I am going to be scoping a lot more options this year especially since I have been following a clean eating lifestyle. Here is what I will be looking for:
Does my list overwhelm? Walking through the Baltimore Convention is overwhelming but exhilarating. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Last year I started in the top floors where the newer companies are featured but this year I will focus on them on my last day so I can dedicate the right amount of time to companies I have connected with and/or with those I have set appointments with.
Last year I discovered these products and used them through the year.
Last year I was still in my old lifestyle so I was not used to the Monk Fruit sweetener and other options but since stevia, monk fruit and other natural sweeteners are part of my lifestyle, I cannot wait to see what is new this year. I have yet seen Jawea vegan ice cream but that might be something available at a Whole Foods which I do not live close to.
Drinks are a favorite of mine. There is always somewhere to go with some beverage to enjoy. Temple Turmeric was one of my favorite to try as was the detox water made with aloe.
Yellow Pea Milk was one of the newest products last year and it is one I have tried when I shopped at Target. The chocolate flavor was delish!
Contact Solution that is a better for your eyes? I definitely appreciated having that option to switch my current one. Child Life products has something for every child from infancy to teenager and even expecting mothers. Their chewable probiotics were a favorite of ours.
There were so many products for kids allergy and cold season, products for laundering the kids clothes, or even kid-safe nail polish.
One of my biggest discoveries was Siddha Flower Essences are cell salts that help with and treat the electrical portion of our nervous system. I truly believe that the body can have major imbalances especially if dealing with major stress. This company has specific blends focusing on the individual needs of each person. I have dealt with my share of emotional stress, digestive issues and toxic relationships, so when I saw that Siddha had a blend for each of those issues I tried them at different times.
I cannot say if they really worked but I continued to use knowing they have a benefit to health my body. They even have something for kids, especially for those with tantrums, sleepless nights and more. Do you have pets? They have something for them too.
What are you interested in seeing? I can highlight on Friday and Saturday on my Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. I will also be doing several giveaways too!
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Products that Jumpstarted my Clean Eating Lifestyle
September 11th, 2017I have had this update to share with you for a while. Many have asked me and have been astounded by my clean eating lifestyle change and consistency in it for 9 months. Not only is it by the grace of God that I have been able to do this, but having the right things for this mother of three.
Everything I share with you is based on my research. I am not paid for sharing any of these products but there are affiliate codes that help keep this blog alive. Any support is much appreciated. While I am not a licensed practitioner, I implore you to read about the products listed before trying them.
Motherhood woes
After I had my third baby in 2015, I knew that I had to make changes in my eating lifestyle but trying to do it with a newborn and two toddlers seemed so impossible. I thought I was trying all the right things but my weight would not budge. I even thought perhaps there was something wrong with my thyroid, but all tests came back normal. The diagnosis from the endocrinologist stated that I simply had to go on a low-carb diet.
Great. Was I given any ideas how to go about this change? No. None at all. I had my annual at my OB/Gyn’s office and they also encouraged some lifestyle changes but no recommendations were given so I did not make an effort. Fast forward to 2017 and I about had it with nothing changing in my life, and my weight skyrocketing to my highest weight so far.
Clean Eating Lifestyle on Weight Watchers
I decided to go with what worked after I had my first child in 2011. I knew it had helped back then so I was hopeful of it working again. This time though, my husband was supportive 100%. He saw how miserable I was and that he too could use some weight loss. I decided to join the meetings because I like the accountability and hearing encouragement from the leader. Not only that, but weighing myself once a week was definitely a motivator.
I joined at the end of January 2017 and I started researching about removing everything processed in my kitchen and pantry. While I did not drink diet drinks I knew I needed to stay from easy go-to beverages that were not healthy to my body. I removed sugar from my diet as well and started with a 3-day smoothie detox /cleanse. I prayed that God would give me strength to go about this lifestyle with a different mindset and not as an obsession.
I did this Bikini Body 3-day Detox to spearhead my journey and it was really great! If you are a person that focuses on texture, the smoothies in the recipe PDF are very thick. I enjoyed them but some might not.
Self-Love and Listening to Your Body
I known for a long time that I was hypoglycemic ( low blood sugar level), so if I did not eat small meals throughout the day, I would crash and get hangry. Many of the articles I read is that when it came to eating small meals and clean eating, is that it was important to have PROTEIN with every meal and snack. I chose to eat LEAN protein for my meals and I added a protein shake for 1 snack a day.
I have only used one brand because I have taste tested it for a long time and knew that it was very clean and vegan at that. Sunwarrior Raw Protein Powder has been so great in stabilizing my blood sugar and giving me the necessary protein for my snack that I made for my smoothies.
Herbs and Tonics
I dream some day becoming a herbalist. Even if I do not, I at least want to make my own little tried and true medicinal booklet to leave my kids when they grow up. My grandmother in Mexico is a true believer that all herbs have a benefit and a healing one at that. I tell her time and time and again to make me a book so I can something to pass on. Which reminds me…I need to call her again. 🙂
Another company that I came across was Sun Potion. I had come across them through an article, and went to their site and researched their products. I actually emailed them and even asked for recommendations based on my body. They even have supporting articles on their site including the benefits of pine pollen.
These tonics both showed that they could aid in boosting metabolism and balancing hormones. Ashitaba is a vegan blood builder and a rich source of Vitamin B12. Since I know I am deficient in B12, I knew this was going to be something I wanted to try. Once I ran out and have been without them for 3 months, I notice the difference. I miss them being in my life because I really feel like they made a difference. A combination of eating clean and healthy with the right tonics that claimed to do what it needed to seemed to be a good combination. Even so, without them, I have been able to lose weight consistently over the last 5 months.
My body has gone through a lot and the healing process is going to take a long time but I knew I had to start somewhere. Here are some issues that I have had:
Hormonally I felt off-balance and well, with a gall bladder removal, I knew I was not digesting well, but modern medicine leaves you hanging on a limb. I did my own research for that too! I added digestive enzymes and ox bile so that everything I ate could be digested. I was still dealing with heartburn, bloating, gas and more.
Superfood Mushrooms
Something that I learned a lot about were mushrooms. We are not talking simple white button mushrooms but mushrooms that are considered superfoods and adaptogens. Adaptogens became a favorite word for me because according to the definition on Google, it is a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. I deal with way to much stress or in reality, I do not know how to manage it well.
Four Sigmatic Mushrooms
Juicing is a great way to fuel our bodies and keep our systems strong, but there’s one amazing vegetable that you can’t juice, and that’s mushrooms. In fact, medicinal mushrooms, which often grow on trees, can help you relax and get a good night of sleep.
But seriously, mushrooms are known to help support immune function, lower inflammation, balance blood sugar and alter gut bacteria for the better too. You don’t have to go walking in the woods for hours to reap the benefits anymore. I love the fact that several of their products are in bulk tins and are available in convenient single-serve packets that you can easily mix with hot water and enjoy daily.
One of my favorites is reishi mushrooms, which enhance the quality of deep, slow-wave sleep. You can drink them two hours before bed or anytime throughout a busy day. The reishi mushroom extracts taste incredibly smooth, almost like a light version of coffee (sans caffeine), mixed with herbs like peppermint and licorice to give it a fresh flavor.
Either way, I alternately added these packets to my smoothies as well and they tasted great. Knowing I was putting a healthy ingredient in my body felt good.
Have I overwhelmed you? Reclaiming health is hard work especially when the body has been abused. These are recommendations based on my research and what has helped me in the last 9 months. Currently I am 53 pounds lighter and have a goal to lose another 45 pounds by January.
Don’t delay taking charge of your health. I am learning that I cannot do it on my own strength. A change of mindset and added discipline can only be by the grace of God.
