recipes

My #1 struggle, and I’m sure we can all relate: controlling what goes on the plate! I have no issues getting to the gym and loving my workout, but staying on the clean eating train is not easy! My biggest down fall is seeing something and not having the willpower to say no. Cheese, chocolate, you get the point. Sometimes I’ll just go for it, but others I’ll contemplate and talk myself out of it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for indulging here and there, but definitely not all the time.

Some thoughts that run through my head in the “contemplation stage”:

Don’t waste that workout on something that will be satisfying for .2 seconds.
Think about where you’ll be if you have no cheats for the next how many days.
I don’t want to feel guilty, I want to feel satisfied!
I want my dang abs to show through, and these cheats will not get me there.

Question: Are you able to talk yourself out of cheats? Or is this something you struggle with?

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Chicken & Veggie Casserole: I came across this AMAZING recipe from Little B’s blog and had to try. It is seriously so good, and even one of my boyfriends favorite things I’ve cooked. Get the recipe here.

I over-did it on the cheese, but that was mostly my boyfriend’s side. 😉 Also- best to use a glass pan. I don’t have one so used a baking sheet, surprisingly it still turned out great.

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Love, love, love visiting my parents for a yummy BBQ. As you know, we have no sun here in San Francisco, so heading to Sonoma once in awhile is essential, and love that my mom is all about clean eating also. Here are some of our dishes:

Hope you all had a great weekend!! We just got back from Napa. Jeff surprised me with a weekend getaway of wine tasting, sun basking and spa treatments for my birthday! So much fun, but back to reality. New job, trying to get back into a routine, working my butt off in the gym and TRYING my hardest to eat clean. It’s a new week peeps, we can do it!! xo

With Halloween right around the corner I am obsessing over everything pumpkin right now! I went to Trader Joe’s a couple of days ago and picked up a ton of pumpkin goodies. Pumpkin butter, pumpkin spice latte mix and a couple of cute mini pumpkins just for decoration. I couldn’t resist researching to see what the health benefits of pumpkin are, and here is what I found.

Pumpkin is low in fat and calories and rich in disease fighting nutrients such as:

Alpha-carotene: healthy vision & proper immune function, can also slow aging.
Beta-carotene: can reverse skin damage & act as an anti-inflammatory.
Fiber: one-half cup serving contains 5 grams of fiber. Fiber helps reduce bad cholesterol levels, protects the body against heart disease, control blood sugar levels, promote healthy digestion, and plays a role in weight loss.
Vitamin C: boost immunity, reduces risk of high blood pressure and heart disease and regulates cholesterol levels.
Vitamin E: promotes healthy skin and protecting from sun damage.
Potassium: aids in balancing fluid levels in the body, promotes strong bones, necessary for energy production and helps control blood pressure.
Magnesium: aids the body in hundreds of functions, including promoting a healthy immune system, contributing to bone strength and normalizing heart function.

Pumpkin seeds also contain essential vitamins and minerals and are a good source of vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and are excellent plant-based source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Did you also know that canned pumpkin is also just as nutritious as fresh? This is all awesome news to me, and I am so ready to start making pumpkin soups, muffins, breads, smoothies as well as eating pumpkin seeds alone.

I came across a couple of recipes that I wanted to share. They all look amazing, but here are my favs: (click on the link to see the recipe)

{for more amazing skinny recipes visit skinnytaste.com; credits: suite101.com}

Speaking of Halloween, are you all planning on getting into the spirit and dressing up in costume? If so, please share! Have a great week everyone!

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