Eating Clean: Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

I have officially given up brown rice!

Okay so I first saw this recipe on Facebook, then on Pinterest. At first I was like um, no there's absolutely no way that will remotely taste the same as the real deal. But I'm not the one to shy away from a challenge in the kitchen (just like here). So I wrote down my ingredients and set off to the store. Y'all...I made this last night and it was UH-MAZE-BALLS! Not even joking, I could have ate the entire batch I made. (Which was about seven portions too many!) So lets get to the fun stuff! 

Ingredients:

*1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

*2 eggs

*1 small head of cauliflower

*1 lb bag of mixed vegetables

*1/2 chopped onion

*3 cloves garlic, minced

*salt & pepper

*3 Tablespoons liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)  

Directions:

1. Combine 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil with eggs in a bowl and whisk to combine, set aside.

2. Chop cauliflower into big chunks then use a food processor with grating attachment (I don't have one of these so I just used a box grater and grated the chunks that way). 

3. Heat the 1 Tablespoon of sesame seed oil in large skillet (or wok) over high heat.

4. Add cauliflower, onion, frozen vegetables and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add garlic, salt and pepper and continue to stir fry for about 30 seconds.

6. Push mixture to the sides of skillet to make a hole in the center and pour egg mixture into the middle and scramble.

7. Add liquid aminos and toss to mix.

8. Serve and enjoy!

PLEASE let me know if you try this and how much you love it!

5 Exercise Myths Debunked!

Tackling Common Myths!

So here's the thing, we live in a world where we no longer have to worry about how we are going to find answers to any question we can possibly have. We literally have the opportunity to google ANYTHING within a matter of seconds in our palms at at time of the day. Technology driven world at its finest! Most of the time this is fantastic news!! However, along with that also comes SO much different information that we are left wondering what is actually valid and what isn't. I know this first hand, I'm currently taking a Intro to Nutrition class right now and in some of my projects I have to go out and research different meal plans and decide whether or not they are an effective treatment for any of my given patients. Let me tell you, there is SO much misinformation out there that will lead you down the wrong path if you aren't careful!

With that said I wanted to take some of wrong information or myths I hear the most often and shed some light and clarification on them! So let's get started!

Myth #1: You only need to do cardio to lose weight.

Y'all, I cannot even begin to count how many times I hear this! It's simply not true! Women will spend hours upon hours walking on a treadmill or using the elliptical with the hopes of shedding some major lbs. The thing about cardio that throws people is yes, you will burn more calories in those moments of exercise BUT what they don't realize is that once you are done, the calorie burning is over as well! Whereas, when you strength train and start building lean muscle, you continue burning calories throughout your entire day! So my best advice is to incorporate both! It's always a good idea to keep your fitness interesting but just remember, strength training is important!!

Which leads me to my number 2 myth..

Myth #2: Women will get bulky and "manly" looking when they lift weights.

This is probably one of the MOST common things I hear on a regular basis and it makes me want to hug these poor women and let them know how very very very wrong they are! I used to be one of those girls too! The big bulky guys over by the weight sets in the gym terrified me and I would keep my happy little booty on the stair climber! So here's the thing, men and women have very different hormone levels. One of them being testosterone, which is what makes men bulk up and women don't! It would literally take HOURS upon HOURS at the gym DAILY, not to mention a TON of specific food preparation for women to bulk the way men do. What does happen when women lift weights is they build strong lean muscle which in turns burns more body fat and calories (even at rest!). 

Myth #3: You can spot reduce fat from certain areas of your body.

That would be the dream wouldn't it? Unfortunately darlings, it just doesn't work that way. :( This is the most common when people talk about wanting flat tummies and these awesome abs. If that was the case I would have a six pack a YEAR ago when I started my fitness journey! Ha! The key to having a flat tummy, a nice round booty, killer cut arms and nice quads is all over body training! You body is going to chose on its own what is going to go first and there is nothing you can do about it! Funny for me, usually the area women start losing weight first is their chest (which actually upsets most!) and as we all know that just simply wasn't the case for me! I worked and worked and shredded and shredded but my chest was a stubborn little biotch. For me, the rest of my body got so much smaller that the size of my chest became more and more uncomfortable so I actually ended up having a surgery to help. (But that is a whole other story for another time!) So the point I am trying to make, just start and keep going and eventually everything is going to fall into place! 

Myth #4: You can out-train a bad diet.

I said it above and I'll say it again, that would definitely be the dream wouldn't it?! Can I get an amen!? Ha! I have said it time and time again. I was THAT girl. I would train HOURS at the gym and then on the way home I would stop at chickfila for their chicken mini breakfast. E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y. I mean obviously, busted ass at the gym so I DESERVED those delicious mini heaven chicken bites! Yeah, I wondered why I didn't see the results I wanted! BUT WHERE ARE MY ABS?! Alissa, they are hiding underneath all those bad eating habits. So here's the thing, eat well, that means real whole-foods. Vegetables, fruits, HEALTHY fats. whole grains. Your nutrition accounts for about 85% of your results. So why on earth would you want to kill yourself going hard at the gym only to completely cancel it out with that greasy burger and fries? Now if you've been following along with me, you know that I LOVE to preach about the 80-20 rule. Eating clean and healthy 80% of the time and indulging in my favorite treats the other 20%, its all about finding a good adequate balance!

Now, for our last myth..

Myth #5: You have to severely restrict your calories to get that goal body of yours.

I keep hearing about all these SERIOUSLY calorie depleted starvation diets that are circling around social media. Just hop on Pinterest or Instagram and you can see a ton of examples. So here's a little inside scoop, these fad diets are NOT healthy!! Or even effective. Sure, you'll lose a few pounds while you're on it but as soon as you start eating normally again they come jump right back on. Not to mention, is it really worth the misery you put yourself through? Not for me! So what is the best way to get your goal body? Filling up on nourishing whole foods! Don't overeat but don't obsess over calories. That just makes for a miserable life. Did you know I don't count a lick of calories and have never on my journey of losing 30+ lbs? Thanks to my handy dandy color codes containers from my homegirl Autumn (from the 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme) I have not had to worry about calorie counting, carb counting, measuring out meat, etc. I have had the ability to learn how to effectively eat a correctly portioned day of meals consistency and ((SHOCKER)) it's been the ONLY thing that has helped me lose weight and KEEP IT OFF! 

If you are interested in finding out more about this program or any other Beachbody program be sure to leave me a comment below or find me on facebook and send me a message here!

Eating Clean: Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya

Serve with Roasted Broccoli and You'll Thank Me! :)

So here's the thing, I have never personally had jambalaya before. Ever. I wasn't even quite sure what it was when I saw this recipe on Pinterest. But the ingredients sounded delicious so I thought I would whip some up! So here is my disclaimer: This stuff is pretty spectacular tasting BUT I have no idea if it actually tastes like jambalaya. Ha! I will say that I made like WAY too much and continue to eat it for a week so, obviously, it was pretty dang good!

So on to the recipe!!

Ingredients:

*20 large pre cooked shrimp

*8 oz precooked chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

*1 low sodium turkey sausage (here's the thing I could NOT find this anywhere so I made my own out of ground turkey, cumin, garlic powder and red chili flakes)

*1 med onion, chopped

*1 large bell pepper, chopped

*1 can low sodium organic stewed tomatoes

*2 TBSP minced garlic

*1 TBSP salt-free Cajun seasoning

*2 cups precooked brown rice/quinoa/couscous

*1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

*1 tsp sea salt and pepper

*organic coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients, and mixed well.

3. Prepare 2 foil pouches. Rub each piece of foil with coconut oil.

4. Divide mixture evenly into each of the pieces of foil and seal.

5. Place into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy the yummy goodness!! If you try this recipe out PLEASE come back and let me know how you like it! For more fitness and health tips come be my friend on Facebook, I'd love to meet you! https://www.facebook.com/alissa.tarner

Eating Clean: Pineapple Turkey Burger & Jicama Fries

So good you won't even need fast food again!

Okay so first things first, can we talk about how FANTASTIC this picture looks? I'm always so envious of these bloggers and picture takers of their food pictures! How do they make them look so great and every single one of mine look like I ran it over with my car before taking a picture? However, THIS one, this one I am proud of!

So let's get on with it! Let me introduce you to the flavor of all flavor, the most amazing thing you'll ever put in your mouth ;) aka this pineapple turkey burger paired with fries. Not just any fries though, potato free fries, these my fries my friends are actually a cut up jicama!

So what's a jicama exactly? Well, its a root vegetable that can be eaten either raw or cooked. For my purposes obviously I baked them. The great thing about them is they are low in calories but yet high in nutrients and fiber. For all my Paleo friends, this is a great alternative!

Did you also know pineapple is really good for bloated tummies? It also aids in digestion! Ladies we all know about that time of the month and how we feel about 1000lbs heavier. I will be keeping some pineapples on hand from now on!

OKAY so on to the good stuff! The recipes!

Pineapple Turkey Burger. (I wanted to also say that the original recipe I found for this was a vegan recipe so it did not actually call for the turkey in the burger but I love my meat so I whipped up a few patties in the oven while I made the onions and pineapple.)

Ingredients:

*Gluten Free Buns

*2 Cups fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

*1 red onion, 1/2 sliced thickly 1/2 finely chopped

*1 TBSP coconut oil

*1/2 Lg avocado

*1 LB ground turkey

*1 egg

*Any seasoning you want for turkey patties

Sauce Ingredients:

*2 TBSP liquid aminos

*Juice from 1 med size orange

*1 TBSP honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine ground turkey, egg, seasonings, 1/2 chopped onion. Form into small balls and place and flatten on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
3. Cook for 20-25 minutes
4. Meanwhile, mix sauce ingredients and combine pineapple chunks to let marinade for 10 minutes.
5. Heat coconut oil in skillet over medium heat, add onions and place lid and let cook for about 5 minutes allowing them to caramelize.
6. Remove onions and place marinated pineapple in same skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
7. Assemble burger with the gluten free bun, turkey patty, pineapple, onion, and sliced avocado.

Jicama Fries:

Ingredients:
*Jicama
*Olive oil
*Preferred Seasonings
*Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Remove skin from jicama and cut into sticks and layer cookie sheet
3. Lighting drizzle olive oil
4. Season to taste. (I used garlic powder, sea salt, and paprika)
5. Bake for 40 mins flipping halfway through.

There you have it! Fantastic dinner! I know it sounds a little crazy and overwhelming but it actually was pretty simple! Please let me know on Facebook or Instagram if you tried this out and let me know how you liked it!!! Please find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alissatarnercoach for more fitness tips, recipes, etc!!! I'd love to meet you! :)

Eating Clean: Sesame Chicken and Quinoa (21 Day Fix Approved!)

Mama and Toddler Approved!

If you know the first thing about me then you know my immense obsession with Chinese food. It's seriously my favorite thing, right next to bread. Also, if you know the first thing about clean eating then you know that Chinese food is like the farthest extreme you can get in the opposite direction. So saying good bye the my beloved was really hard on that Saturday night where I just need me some orange chicken or sweet and sour chicken!

Good news my fellow Chinese lovers! I have found a sesame chicken recipe that will knock your socks off and delight your taste buds AND it's 21 Day Fix approved! You're welcome. You probably want to jump on over to www.gimmesomeoven.com and thank Ali too because that's where I found this gem! 

So you ready for the recipe?!

Ingredients:

*2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
*salt and pepper
*1 Tbsp. olive oil
*3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used Liquid Aminos)
*2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
*2 Tbsp. honey
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1/2 tsp. ground ginger
*1 tsp. cornstarch
*1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
*2 tsp. sesame oil
*1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (I didn't have these on hand so I left them out)

Quinoa Ingreidents:*1 cup dry quinoa*2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Chicken:

1. Season chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and saute for about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.4. While chicken is cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch until combined.
5. When the chicken is cooked through, add the green onions and soy sauce mixture to the pan and stir immediately to coat the chicken. The sauce will thicken quickly.
6. Stir in sesame oil, then remove from heat and serve over cooked quinoa, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Quinoa:
1. Rinse 1 cup of quinoa and add to 2 cups of liquid (water or beef broth) and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes.

This is great to keep in the fridge to eat for lunches during the week, which is what I did and the flavor was there each and every day!! ENJOY!!

Team Pump Coach Spotlight!

Okay, so here is the thing. I am SO dang proud of this girl right here!----->

Amanda originally reached out to me in January about joining my challenge groups. She told me she had been watching my transformation and wanted in!!! She join my New Year's challenge and started the 21 Day Fix coupled with the, oh so yummy, Vegan Chocolate Shakeology!! She was so committed and worked her ass off!! She consistently stayed in my groups for 7 months. The picture above was after her 5th round of the Fix. THIRTY POUNDS!!!! She eventually went onto the 21 Day Fix Extreme because she was ready to amp up her fitness. I'll post below her current transformation...its good y'all LIKE JAW DROPPING GOOD!

At the end of June she reached out to me to tell me that she was ready to take it to the next level. She had become such an avid believer in the Beachbody products and my challenge groups. She wanted to spread the word to any and everyone she could. I immediately signed her up and she seriously jumped both feet first into this coaching world. She started watching as many YouTube videos she could and finding AS MUCH info she could. All before I could even get her in a Coach Basics Training Group!! Girlfriend was on fiiiiiire!!!

In her first month of becoming a coach she achieve Success Club 6! This means she helped three different people start their fitness journey!!! She has seriously been my shinny star and I could NOT be more proud of her! She is on the road to Emerald which is the first promotion in her business!!! Y'all better watch out for this girl because she is going places and she will be at the top soon!!!

As promised, here is the most recent transformation after 5 rounds of the 21 Day Fix and 1 round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme....

EEEEKKKK!!!!!! This girl makes my heart smile so much!!!! Way to go darling!!! 

If you are interested in joining #TeamPump then be sure to fill out the application below and I will contact you ASAP to see if this is a good fit for you!!

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Eating Clean: Margherita Pizza

So good you won't believe its CLEAN!

So I set off to do my meal planning like I always do on Monday. I jumped on Pinterest and started scouring for something that sparked my interest. LOW AND BEHOLD...Margherita Pizza. I love this stuff but I thought NO WAY would I be able to eat it and call it a "clean meal". Well what do you know!? Along with some help from simplecleanfitness.com I tweaked the recipe and made it pretty darn clean (AND TASTY!) So for us 21 Day Fixers you need to mark off a Red, Green, Yellow, AND Blue for this bad boy. Trust me though, its worth it!

Ingredients:

-Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (here's the thing I didn't want to make one huge pizza so I bought personal size crusts AND its Ezekiel crusts so they are WAY healthier for you!)

-Mozzarella Cheese

-Tomato (Sliced)

-Basil Leaves

-Olive Oil

-Tomato Sauce (no sugar added)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450.

2. Spray a pan with non-stick spray and lay your dough out on it.

3. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the dough and brush it all over the top.

4. Spread tomato sauce all over making sure you get to the edges of the crusts.

5. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.

6. Add sliced tomatoes and torn basil leaves and then sprinkle a bit more cheese on top.

7. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Super easy and super yummy!! Try it out and let me know what you think!