Ultimate Reset: Day 2

I feel blessed that my Day 2 was not as horrible as I was prepping it to be. I have read a lot of blogs, and watched a lot of videos from other coaches where their Day 2 was very debilitating; however, mine wasn't too terrible.

I woke up EARLY, hopped right out of bed and felt very well rested, even though I couldn't fall asleep the night before and probably only had, at most, 5 hours of sleep. Seriously, I felt great...which if you know me in person you would know that mornings and I just do not work out well. I went to the grocery store before heading to work (weird) and picked up some more supplies that I could need, like distilled water.

The day was okay. I will admit, I was tired and it would have been a great day to spring for a cup of herbal tea, but I resisted. Any other day I would have gone straight to Starbucks for a Venti Gingerbread Latte, but today I just decided to ride the wave.

After lunch is when things sort of nose-dived just a little bit. I got a pretty bad headache that was just annoying, and starting around 3pm I got nauseated, to the point where I thought I might be sick. I took my Alkalinize (which is the nasty green stuff) and almost lost it in the sink..but I kept it down. I remember going back into my office and sitting in my chair with my eyes closed thinking, "I can't do this"...10 minutes later, I felt great. No headache. No nausea. Felt awesome and went and played with my dogs.

What I did notice during Day 2 was my cravings were OUT OF THIS WORLD. Stuff I never crave...like loaded nachos or pulled pork sandwiches were suddenly all I could think of. And this is no exaggeration..but my husband was making himself his lunch to take to work that night and he had Land o Lakes American cheese slices from the deli (which I love). I caught it out of the corner of my eye while I was preparing not-so-fun lentils for the next day..but he had a piece and broke another piece between the two dogs. I cried. I cried and in between tears said, "I'm the only one who didn't get a piece of cheese!!' You can probably imagine the look I got as I went and pouted in the other room.

So yeah..biggest thing from yesterday was the sickness mid day, and the cravings. Other than that pretty business as usual.

Oh! And in case you are interested, there are much more detailed reviews each day on my YouTube page. Check it out and show some love!

Fall Favorites Pt 1

Ahhhh...fall is here :)  The kids are back in school, the leaves are starting to change, and at least here in Pennsylvania we have the "fall crisp" in the air.  Perfect blue sky days mixed with crisp star-filled sky nights are some of the things that I love best about this season. But there are other things too!

Fall is my favorite season. I know many people think that it is summer (since I love the beach) and I will gladly sit on a beach any day, but if I have to choose my favorite season for the Northwest region, it would have to be fall. We still get our warm days, Pennsylvania is full of state parks and woods so I get to be constantly surrounded by the fall colors, and who doesn't love all the fall festivals!!

But one area that I particularly love...fall food. Mmmmm nothing smells more delicious than pumpkin or apple pies baking in the oven. In fact, if you are like me (and probably the majority of the citizens of the U.S.) you almost go into pumpkin overload this time of the year! You want pumpkin EEEVERYTHING. So to feed your obsession (because I think it's a great obsession to have) here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes. Fear not! More are to come :)

PUMPKIN PANCAKES (oh dear LORD do I love these!)

2 c. pancake mix (or you can go with a healthier option and combine my protein pancake ingredients in with the following ingredients, eliminating the need for the pancake mix all together!)
2 large eggs
1 1/4 c. milk ( I used Almond milk..personal preference)
1/2 c. Libby's Pumpkin Pie filling
2 TBSP sugar ( I went w/Truvia)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (this is my own addition)

Mix everything together and make pancakes as usual. I topped mine with some sugar-free syrup and mmm! They were delicious!



PUMPKIN SHAKEOLOGY (pumpkin pie in a glass!)

1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1/2 c. Libby's Pumpkin
1 c. Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Handful of ice

Put all of the ingredients into a blender, blend, and tadaaa! All the deliciousness of a slice of pumpkin pie without the fear of eating the entire pie (if you're like me..this happens from time to time) and no guilt! You just got all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for your day and you're having a tastey treat! Want to know more about Shakeology? Click Here!






WHOLE GRAIN PUMPKIN BANANA MUFFINS (found this one on cooks.com)

2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Splenda
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix bananas, pumpkin, and eggs in food processor (or blender)
Mix those wet ingredients with honey and oil.
Mix all dry ingredients separatelyStir dry ingredients slowly into the wet.Fold in raisins and pecans.Spray muffin pan with Pam or other baking spray. Fill each muffin tin 2/3 full.Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Put on a baking rack to cool.Makes up to 24 muffins.

STARBUCKS PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE (it wouldn't be fall without it!)

 There's really no recipe for this one, but if you are watching your calorie intake, then ask for the "skinny" version. If you get these once in a blue moon - then hell, go all out with the regular version...but if Starbucks is a daily or weekly trip for you these calories can add up quick! So make it skinny!