Almond Power Bars

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by HealthAliciousNess

My kids get the "snackies." A lot. They eat three big meals a day, but it just doesn't hold them. Midafternoon, they're opening the fridge and perusing the pantry, wondering what we've got to eat. Part of this is just the fact that they're kids who burn off everything they eat, but another part is that a lot of the things they eat just don't stick with them enough. Sometimes it's really hard to keep them full.

Raw nuts are a great choice to keep them full longer, but my kids won't eat them. I did, however, find a fantastic recipe in Maximized Living Nutrition Plans that is packed with raw nuts, among other healthy, tasty things, and because the nuts are ground up, my kids don't really realize they're eating them. They will, however, eat these almond power bars, and the bars do keep them full longer. My husband and I eat them, too, and it really helps keep the "snackies" at bay for all of us.

This is one of those recipes, though, that can rack up quite a bill at the grocery store if you don't have the ingredients on hand already. Once you have the ingredients, they'll last quite a while, but if your budget is super tight and you don't have the ingredients on hand already, consider purchasing just one or two of the ingredients each time you go to the store until you have all of them. I'll also give you some hints below for where to find the ingredients for the best prices.

Almond Power Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups raw almonds (I buy these in bulk at Sam's Club.)
1/2 cup flaxseed meal (You can buy this anywhere. Store it in your freezer, and it will last a really long time. I've only bought 2 bags of it in the past 9 months.)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional. I don't add this, but it is in the recipe.)
2 scoops flavored whey protein powder (Whole Food carries this in their store brand, 365. I use vanilla.)
1/2 cup raw almond butter. (Two words. Trader. Joe's. It is so, so much cheaper than anywhere else.)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup coconut oil (buying this in bulk is a lot cheaper. Wal mart also carries it in their baking aisle.)
8 drops liquid Stevia or 3/4 tsp. Stevia powder, to taste.
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla (check the label. Some brands add corn syrup. I buy McCormick vanilla at Sam's Club.)
8 squares unsweetend chocolate, melted and sweetened to taste. The original recipe calls for Stevia and cinnamon, but I prefer to add liquid Stevia and pure almond flavoring.

Let me give those ingredients to you one more time, without the notes. It'll be easier to read.
2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional
2 scoops flavored whey protein powder
1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
8 drops liquid Stevia
1 Tbsp. vanilla
8 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and sweetened to taste with stevia, and cinnamon or almond flavoring. (optional)

Directions:
Put almonds, flax meal, shredded coconut, whey powder, almond butter, and salt in a food processor with the S blade. Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds.
In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil completely over very low heat. Remove oil from heat; add Stevia and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the food processor, then pulse again until ingredients form a coarse paste.
Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, then press mixture into the pan. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until hard.
In a double boiler, melt unsweetened chocolate squares, adding the sweeteners to taste. Spread over hardened bars and refrigerate until chocolate hardens (about 30 minutes). Remove and cut into bars right away.

Hints: The chocolate stays very dark, so if you don't prefer a very dark chocolate, consider eating the bars without the chocolate coating, or substituting the chocolate with sunflower nut butter or a combination of a nut butter and chocolate.

You can also crumble up this paste and use it to make apple-strawberry cobbler. It is delicious! We eat it for breakfast sometimes, with no guilt, because our topping is high in protein, not refined flour.

Making Fast Food Work

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by ebruli

The convenience and economy of fast food make it one of the things people have a hard time letting go when they want to get healthy. That, and how delicious everything tastes fried in hydrogenated oil, and how convincing their commercials are, and how much you can save using their coupons, and the signs (and smells) you have to drive by when you're hungry... Yeah. Fast food is pretty hard to resist, especially when you're pressed for time or are really tired and don't feel like cooking.

Before you throw in the towel and order those trans fat loaded fries, though, let's take a look at some fast food alternatives that make the drive through doable, even on a healthy eating plan.

1. Chick filA's grilled chicken nuggets. Yes, that's right! You can now order nuggets grilled at Chick-filA! Technically, they're only offered as part of the kids' meals, but the point is that they have them! You can either ask to have your adult meal made with them, or order the smaller portioned kids' meal instead. (Your protein portion should be about the size of your fist--remember that when deciding how big to make your meal.) To add to the pleasure, they also offer Buddy Fruits as a side. This blended applesauce, with no added sugar, is super convenient, and somehow seems just a little cooler than a side of sliced apples. Maybe it's the colorful cap.

2. Streakers at Moe's. This summer, I was surprised to read on a frisbee (yes, a frisbee) that Moe's uses grass-fed beef, cage-free chicken with no hormones added, no microwaves, no trans fat, no msg, and whole grain tortillas. I'm assuming the tortillas use some refined flour, or else they would say 100% whole grain, which is why I recommend the streaker option--ordering your meal without the tortilla. You may want a small bed of lettuce underneath, otherwise known as a salad.

3. Baked potato (Wendy's, Arby's). Yes, potatoes are pretty starchy--I wouldn't recommend having this all the time, but ordering a baked potato instead of a trans fat loaded meal is a much better alternative. A couple of months ago, our family stopped at a Wendy's while traveling, and I felt so triumphant when I ordered a baked potato and side salad, completely bypassing the burgers and fries. It was possible to eat fresh and healthy--even at Wendy's! To get your protein, consider ordering a grilled chicken breast. Cut it up and throw it over the top of your potato.

4. Go grilled. Do salad. I'm not the world's biggest salad fan, but I have to admit that if you include ingredients you really like, salads can be pretty tasty. Having said this, I've been disappointed on more than one occasion to find that I don't really like the limited salad choices at many fast food restaurants, and I often feel like I'm missing out by ordering them. Make a compromise. Order your favorite roast beef sandwich, but ask for it on a bed of lettuce, rather than on a bun. Go ahead and get those chicken strips--just get them grilled (or order a grilled chicken breast and cut it into strips!). Don't be afraid to ask for your grilled burger to be wrapped in lettuce instead of on a bun (my dad ordered this by accident one time and was really disappointed!) or to throw your meat on some greens. The worst they can say is no, and if they say yes--who knows? You just may find a new favorite fast-food meal.

5. Always drink water. For starters, it's free! When a family of 5 eats out, this can save you close to $10.00, depending on the cost of drinks. Some restaurants will even lower the price of a value meal if you ask for a glass of water with it. In addition, because most fast food is pretty high in sodium, drinking extra water will help move that excess salt through your body. Also, pretty much any drink you would order besides water will either be full of sugar or harmful artificial sweeteners.

Of course, it's almost always cheaper and healthier to eat at home, but when you must eat out, don't just give up and order junk--give your best effort to eat healthy, even at the drive-thru.

Transformed...for a reason

Although I’m always grateful for the difference living unrefined has made in our lives, there are times when it hits harder than others, like the time my mom handed me a “before” picture of us, and I remembered how we used to look and feel, or the day Dale cleaned out the medicine cupboard and lined up on the counter all of the medication bottles he no longer needed.

Today was one of those days. I was finishing up our taxes, and I had gotten to the medical expenses. I pulled out the plastic bin full of receipts and began looking through it. As I did, I realized how easily I had forgotten about all of the medications we used to buy. I had forgotten how often Dale and Hayley used to have to go to the doctor, and all of the symptoms they used to have. Bills and bills. Receipts and receipts. It was literally thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses. I guess you could say we needed life, unrefined more than anyone.

Sure, our grocery bills were less back then, but we more than made up for it with lab work, doctors’ bills, visits to specialists, and prescriptions.

The longer we live unrefined, the more distant these things become from our reality, but I hope I never stop being grateful. I’m grateful that Dale, desperate for relief from physical pain, chronic fatigue, and frequent illnesses, walked into Dr. Sweeney’s office looking for help, and that, for once, he wasn’t simply handed another Rx order, which would only continue to mask his symptoms--symptoms which were showing up for a reason. His body was trying to tell him something, and the doctors weren't listening. He didn't want another medication thrust at him. He wanted to be well.

This time, it was different. This time, Dr. Sweeney listened, and then he challenged Dale to live differently. He challenged him to get his body healthy through natural means so that he would no longer need all of those doctors' visits and medications to mask his symptoms. Instead, he would be attacking the root cause behind the symptoms. We had no idea—no idea—just how transforming Dr. Sweeney’s challenge would be.

As unbelievable as this transformation has been for us, though, it’s almost inconsequential compared to the unbelievable spiritual transformation Christ wants to perform in our lives when we truly let Him have control. The apostle Paul says that “The training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Tim. 4:8).

Imagine the amazing benefits we can experience from allowing God to transform our spirits, taking away all of the harmful crud we put in them. The results of physical transformation have an amazing impact on our lives here and now—our ability to live and breathe and move with greater ease and clarity—but the results of spiritual transformation have an unbelievable impact both on our present lives, and on our eternity.

As we seek to remove harmful foods and toxins from our bodies in order to live healthier lives, my hope and prayer is that we also take time to transform our spirits. If we neglect this, we’ve wasted our time and completely missed the point of living life, unrefined. We discipline our bodies and make the effort to live healthier now because of eternity. Now is the time God has given us to serve, to pray, to worship, and to use our gifts. We can do all of this better with healthier bodies. The reason we work hard on our health is because we know we’ve got more important things to do with our lives, things that will matter for eternity. We live life, unrefined, which is of limited value, because we recognize what is of greater importance...knowing Him and making Him known.

Who Wants a Free Dinner?



Dr. Ben Sweeney and Dr. Joseph Gebhardt at

 

180 Chiropractic and Wellness

would like to show our appreciation to you

 for being a loyal practice member.   

 We would like to invite you and a guest to attend our

PATIENT APPRECIATION DINNER.

Guests must be over the age of 18 years old

and not a current patient.

Please join us at 6:00 PM on Monday, February 27^th

at

Boscos

2000 Meridian Blvd. Suite 110
Franklin, TN 37067
615-778-1770

Please RSVP BY February 24^th (615)595-9063

180 Chiropractic and Wellness is a sponsor of Life, Unrefined.

Soup's On: Chicken Soup

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by Robert Judge

I love soup, especially on cold, winter days (which we haven’t had nearly enough of this year!). It fills the house with a delicious aroma as it simmers in the slow cooker all day long. The meat and vegetables get so tender, and because everything stays immersed in liquid while it cooks, it’s nearly foolproof. It’s economical and easy, the measurements aren’t fussy, it makes fantastic leftovers, it freezes well, and you can freely substitute to fit your tastes or whatever happens to be in your kitchen when you cook. Plus, it’s delicious.

To tell the truth, I think I could eat soup every day.

Today, I want to share 3 of my favorite chicken soup recipes. These recipes are great for so many reasons, but what’s especially wonderful is that they’re naturally refined sugar and flour free. These regular recipes are already wonderful for us to eat, just as they are!

Chicken Noodle Soupadapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

Ingredients:
½ of a chicken
all natural or homemade chicken broth, enough to cover everything
1 medium onion
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cups whole wheat egg noodles
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Directions:
If you want to make your own broth, the day before you make your soup, cook a chicken in your slow cooker all day, then pull the chicken from the bones. Toss the bones and skin back in the slow cooker with the chicken juices, and add the water and spices for homemade chicken broth. Cook this overnight in the slow cooker.

If you bought your broth, just make sure your chicken is cooked and ready to go!

The day you plan to eat your soup, toss all of the ingredients except the noodles and broth into the slow cooker. Pour the cooked chicken broth through a wire mesh strainer into the slow cooker. You’ll want the soup to be pretty watered down, since you’ll be adding noodles later and they’ll absorb some of the broth. Add extra water, if needed.

Tip: I don’t ever actually measure any of these ingredients. I just toss in what looks about right and adjust the spices a little later on.

About an hour or so before you plan to eat the soup, add the noodles and continue cooking. Add a little more water, if needed.

Tip: If you'd rather not cut up the carrots, you can buy a bag of matchstick carrots. Pour about half the bag into your soup.

Tip: If you're trying to lose weight or break your sugar addiction, omit the noodles.

Chicken Tortilla Soupadapted from Simple & Delicious

Ingredients:
½ to 1 chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
28-30 ounces chicken broth (follow directions above to make your own with the frame of the chicken you cooked, or purchase some pre-made)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 cups kidney beans
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounces) green chiles
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
¾ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. coconut palm sugar, or a few drops of liquid stevia, to taste
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker and cook all day. Feel free to add a little water, if needed.
Serve with chips or corn tortillas. I recommend Archer Farms organic blue corn chips with flax seeds (available at Target) or Food for Life’s sprouted corn tortillas, to avoid unhealthy oils. (I found the tortillas at Whole Foods, but they might also have them other places.)

Tip: Read the labels on your cans before purchasing! Many manufacturers sneak in sugar and/or high fructose syrup. Kroger has some canned organic kidney beans packaged with only water and salt, but I usually just buy a bag of beans and cook them myself.

Chicken and Wild Rice SoupUse the recipe for Big Bird and Wild Rice soup, substituting chicken for the turkey.

Patient Appreciation Day!

Our sponsor, 180 Chiropractic and Wellness, would like to invite you to their Patient Appreciation Day, today:

Monday, Feb. 20th.

Whether you're already trying to implement healthier living or you're still wondering how this actually works in real life, this is a great way to get started. The staff at 180 Chiro is always willing to answer questions, listen to concerns, and help you move toward a leaner, healthier you.

Stop by 180 Chiropractic and Wellness during office hours today for complimentary food and beverages and to find out more about Maximized Living!

4091 Mallory Lane
Suite 114
Franklin, TN 37067

Monday Hours:
7:30-11:30 a.m.
3:00-6:00 p.m.

Contact 180 Chiropractic and Wellness for more information:
615-595-9063
info@180chiro.com

Including Our Kids

It has happened so often. I’ll be having a great conversation with someone who is interested in healthier living, and then I’ll mention something about my kids. I can see it in their eyes. “Oh…” they’ll say, unsure. “You make your kids do this, too?” and I know that, once again, I’ve instantly gone from being regarded as Really Dedicated to Nut Job in a matter of seconds.

This unsavory opinion stems from people’s inaccurate ideas about our family’s lifestyle changes. People who see our healthier living as a “weight loss plan” inevitably disapprove of our insistence that our children also participate. This isn’t a weight loss plan, however. It’s a long term plan for healthier living that we hope our children will carry with them into adulthood.

If it’s honestly true that refined sugar and flour are some of the worst offenders in the American diet, that hydrogenated oils will really cause significant health problems, and that toxins are…well, toxic, then why in the world would I get my own life together and then continue giving my kids foods that I know are terrible for them? I want my kids to live long, healthy lives where they won’t be slowed down by the ups and downs associated with sugar intake, where their brains will think clearly, and where they will be much less likely to suffer from preventable health problems.

This is why my kids live healthy, too.



At first, they hated it. I’ll never forget the tears when we refused to let them order macaroni and cheese at a restaurant because we were still breaking our sugar addictions, the frustration over trying to find healthy foods that they actually liked, the emotions, the fatigue, the raised eyebrows from family and friends, the “mommy guilt” when I had to say no yet again to food that all their friends were eating. It was really hard.

It was also really, really worth it. They now thrive on what they affectionately call “the plan.” They do get “cheats” every week, including cake at birthday parties and doughnuts in Sunday school. (And, of course, trips to Sweet Cece's!) The rest of the week, we eat healthy. We’re always finding new recipes for treats they enjoy, like chocolate chip cookies, apple cobbler, and popcorn. They’ve really enjoyed helping me come up with healthier alternative ingredients for our favorite recipes and cooking together in the kitchen.

No, they’re not missing out. They have more energy than ever (sorry, teachers!), they sleep better, have better concentration, and they haven’t been sick. They’ve all been able to go off of their allergy medications and now only take all natural supplements. They used to really look longingly at the junk food we were "depriving" them of, but they miss it less and less. When they do get to eat it, they often tell me it doesn't taste as good as it used to and that they actually prefer the healthier food. (I can hardly believe that I actually just typed that! I still have a hard time believing that their taste buds have changed that much, but they really, truly have.)

So, yes, our kids are “on the plan.” Yes, we’re “depriving” them of harmful sugars and refined substances, which they don’t really miss, to give them a longer, healthier life.

If you’re trying to live healthier, include your kids! Now is the time to teach them healthy habits and help them develop a taste for nutritious food that will last a lifetime.

Surge Training: Lateral Jumps

If you've started surge training, you're probably looking for some different exercises to try. Running in place every time can get old pretty quickly. You need to use a variety of exercises to work different parts of your body and keep this fun, not boring.

You should be feeling fatigued when you surge train. If you're not, you're either not pushing hard enough, or you've chosen an exercise that isn't working your body enough. When I first started surge training last summer, it was really, really hard. I could barely climb the stairs from my garage back into my house after only 9 minutes of exercise. However, after time, my body started to acclimate to the exercises I chose, even though I tried to rotate them. After awhile, surge training didn't seem so hard.

This was certainly easier, but truthfully, I wasn't giving my body the workout it needed, so I've stepped it up by using some additional exercises from Dr. Fred Roberto. The burning fatigue is back. I don't exactly welcome it, but at least it's short-lived!

Check out the exercise, Lateral Jumps, by Dr. Fred Roberto. You'll get your heart rate up and really challenge your body (and you won't get bored!)

Let me know how it goes!

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Breakfast Challenge

Our Monday Challenge this week is actually really easy and will help give you the energy you need to start your day right. This week, I’m challenging you to eat a high protein breakfast every morning. Leave those Cheerios on the shelf and pull out the eggs instead.

Why protein instead of vitamin-fortified cereal? Unlike carbohydrates, your body can not store protein. You need to consume enough each day to help build and repair muscle tissue, carry oxygen through your body, and get your essential amino acids.

Doesn’t a high protein breakfast equal a lot more cooking? It can, but if you do a little advance planning, you can fit these breakfasts into your morning pretty naturally. Here’s the thing: You’ve got to find which recipes your family likes and what you’re willing to do in order to get breakfast ready each morning.

Below are some great protein breakfasts our family enjoys. Below each of them, I offer some tips to streamline the prep process. I've also included a sample weekly breakfast menu. As you look at the menu, decide what you like and what you want to do differently, then plan your own menu. Planning a breakfast menu in advance will make your week a lot easier. 

Protein Packed Pancakes
Tip: If you don’t have almond flour on hand, make your own by throwing some almonds into a food processor and mixing into a powder with the “S” blade. Do this ahead of time and store in a baggie. You can also mix together all of your dry ingredients ahead of time, then just dump into a bowl that morning and add the wet ingredients. For super fast prep, make the pancakes ahead of time, then simply reheat them in the morning and serve.

Smoothies
Tip: Make sure to freeze your fruit ahead of time. We freeze berries and peeled bananas on a cookie sheet, then store them in baggies in the freezer. When it’s time to make smoothies, we just take them out and throw them in the blender. Sam’s Club actually sells a large bag of frozen, sliced strawberries for a competitive price.
Tip: My kids are big breakfast eaters and often pair their smoothies with toast (using Ezekiel 4:9 bread) or shredded wheat (Kashi’s “Vanilla Island” and “Cinnamon Harvest” shredded wheat provide delicious flavor without adding a bunch of sugar).

Hole In One Eggs
Tip: Ahead of time, crush the shredded wheat and store in a baggie, mix together the eggs and milk and store in the refrigerator, and cut out the circles in the bread slices. You could also prepare the entire breakfast ahead of time and simply reheat it in the morning.

Quiche
Tip: Bake the crust ahead of time, then assemble the filling and place in the oven as soon as you wake up in the morning so it can bake while you’re getting ready. You can also bake the quiche ahead of time and reheat individual slices in the morning.

Scrambled Eggs
Tip: If you want to add homemade sausage, cheese, bacon, or other fillers, prepare them ahead of time. I make up a pound of sausage at a time and store it in individual sized baggies in the freezer. Dale cooks up onions and peppers and does the same thing. Shred the cheese ahead of time.

Breakfast Burritos
To make these, simply fill a whole wheat tortilla or Ezekiel tortilla with scrambled eggs and your choice of fillings.
Tip: Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepared ahead of time. That morning, all you have to do is assemble and heat.

Egg Sandwiches
Use Ezekiel 4:9 bread, hamburger buns, or English muffins, then layer on fried eggs, cheese, and your choice of meat. Great Harvest Bread Company also makes some very dense and healthy rolls you could use for this.
Tip: Consider making a bunch of these ahead of time and freezing them, already assembled. Then, just place a sandwich in the fridge the night before to thaw, and reheat in the morning.

Omelets
Tip: Make sure all of your fillings are prepared ahead of time, so all you have to do in the morning for a freshly cooked omelet is cook up the egg and throw in the fillings.

Hard Boiled EggsTip: Boil and peel the night before for an easy grab and go breakfast.

Scotch Eggs

For some additional breakfast options, check out the Maximized Living Blog: Breakfast Recipes.

Tip: You’ll notice that I keep saying to prepare and cook different elements of the recipes “ahead of time.” What, exactly, does that mean? Personally, I don’t want to stay up late the night before prepping everything because then I’m still spending the same amount of time in the kitchen. It just happens to be at night!
Instead, find a time about once a week that you can set aside for meal prep. This should be after you’ve gone to the store so you have all of your ingredients on hand. Cut up your onions and peppers, shred your cheese, cook up your sausage, make your tortillas, bake your crust—do it all at once so it’s done and ready. Then, your work in the kitchen the rest of the week will be much, much easier.

Keys Family Sample Breakfast Menu
Sunday: Smoothies
Monday: (Muffin Monday.) Fried eggs and muffins.
Tuesday: Smoothies
Wednesday: Omelets
Thursday: Smoothies
Friday: Scrambled eggs
Saturday: Smoothies

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by Jamison Judd

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite cookies in the world. As a kid, I loved creaming together the butter and sugar with my mom, then sneaking little pieces of dough when she wasn’t looking. One time, a friend of mine whipped up a batch of dough and just set it out on the counter in a bowl for everyone to enjoy, with no intentions of baking it! Now that I'm a mom, I still love the smell of those cookies wafting through the house while they bake.

There’s just something about chocolate chip cookies…

When we got healthy, I didn’t eat a chocolate chip cookie for months. I considered my love affair with them over, except for “cheat” days. I no longer craved them as I once had, but I still thoroughly enjoyed eating them!

After awhile, I thought, there’s got to be a way to make a chocolate chip cookie that we can eat more regularly. Priorities, right? So, I started experimenting. You can check out my first two recipes at Better for You Chocolate Chip Cookies. The first attempt is a much more nutritious cookie because it’s made with raw almond butter and contains no flour. It’s much different than a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but we like it.

The second attempt is still better for you than the average chocolate chip cookie, but it does contain turbinado sugar—still better than table sugar, but not fantastic. Definitely not something we want to eat all the time. In fact, after indulging on these cookies over Christmas (they were fabulous, by the way!) I had to label them “for special occasions only” and put the recipe a little farther back on the shelf.

Then, I discovered a recipe for Carob Chip Cookies in Amy Green’s cookbook, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Although our family does eat wheat, I love Amy’s recipes because she doesn’t use any refined sugars in them and it's easy to substitute whole wheat flour, if I want to.

These cookies are wonderful, and we don’t have to feel terribly guilty about eating them, because the only sugar they contain is coconut palm sugar. Obviously, because we make ours with chocolate chips, we don’t eat them all the time, but we can indulge in them occasionally. I know, I know, they've got chocolate chips in them. What can I say? We aren’t perfect. (I do buy the darkest chips we can find, and I make sure the ones I buy have natural ingredients.)

I’m going to include Amy’s original recipe for those of you eating gluten free, then I’ll include my version. I hope you enjoy some delicious cookies this weekend!

Carob Chip Cookies
by Amy Green, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Ingredients:
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup palm sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ¾ cups gluten free flour (try Amy’s flour blend to save money)
1 tsp. gluten free  baking powder
½ tsp. xanthan gum
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup unsweetened carob chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add palm sugar, then beat until light and fluffy. (Hint: You will still see the palm sugar grains.) Add egg and vanilla, and beat until mixed.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and kosher salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and beat. Stir in carob chips.

Place balls of dough on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake  8-12 minutes, or until edges turn golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack lined with a paper towel to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from above recipe)

Ingredients:
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup palm sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. aluminum free baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli. You can buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club.)

Directions:
Follow the original recipe’s directions. However, you will not need to line your wire rack with a paper towel.

Heart Health

Our sponsor, 180 Chiro, is offering a free educational talk on heart health! If you live in the Nashville area, please consider coming out on Monday evening for some valuable insight on taking care of your heart. Keep reading for more information!

http://www.flickr.com/, Bush Library

Heart disease may be common, but it is absolutely not normal. At Maximized Living, we always search for the true cause of disease in order to find the solution. The evident cause of heart disease is inflammation triggered by sugar, acidity, free radicals and an improper ratio of omega fatty acids. Through our revolutionary advanced talk, Maximized Living will teach you about how these factors affect your body, and give you 7 steps to prevent heart disease altogether.

Join 180 Chiro for a FREE Advanced Talk on Heart Health!

Learn:

● The true cause of heart disease

● The devastating statistics of heart disease today

● How your amazing heart works

● The function and purpose of cholesterol

● Practical steps to ensure your healthy heart

Help make a difference in the lives of the people that matter most to you.

Date: Monday, Feb. 13th

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: 180 Chiropractic and Wellness Center
              4091 Mallory Lane, Suite 114

              Franklin, TN 37067

To register, call 615-595-9063 or email info@180chiro.com

When It's Okay To Cheat

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by SweetOnVeg

I've tried "diets" with built in cheat days, and they never seemed to work for me. Perhaps it was because I went so overboard on my cheats that I undid everything I'd tried so hard to do during the rest of the week! On my cheat days, I'd gain back everything I had lost that week, and be right back where I started, along with a fresh set of cravings for all of those foods I wasn't supposed to have.

Now that my sugar addiction is broken, I no longer count down to cheat day. I don't even really schedule it in. When an opportunity presents itself, I can usually partake. For example, a couple of weeks ago, a friend offered me some fabulous homemade cupcakes. I had three. (They were minis!) I could do this, with no guilt, because I hadn't splurged on any other refined foods all week.

Cheating on your natural eating plan can be fun, but it's important to hold to some guidelines, or else you might find yourself right back where you started.


1. Do not cheat if you have not broken your sugar addiction. You need to go at least a week without any grains or sugar in order to do this. In most cases, you will need to go even longer. You'll know the addiction has been broken when your energy kicks in. Of course, the longer you go without sugar, the less you will crave it. Going for a longer initial period of time without sugar is ideal.

2. Do not cheat if you're trying to lose weight. This is not a hard and fast rule. If it's your birthday, all will not be lost if you eat a slice of cake! In general, however, stick to a low-grain, no sugar diet without cheats until you've reached your weight loss goal. Cheating during this time will slow down your weight loss and may bring back some sugar cravings.

3. Determine ahead of time your definition of cheat. Setting a realistic expectation will keep you from sliding down the slippery slope. I usually just pick one snack, meal, or dessert for my cheat.

4. Cheat 1-2 times per week, max. You can certainly cheat less than this, but try not to cheat more. If you cheat too often, the sugar monster inside of you will begin to roar again, and your cravings will come back. Keep it limited, so you are in control.

5. Be prepared for side effects. Foods might taste different than they did before you broke your sugar addiction. You might discover you no longer like something you used to think was wonderful. You might also notice other things, like a sugar headache, a stomachache, or just a general "gross" feeling when you eat a sugary treat. I love how Dr. Sweeney says it: Your body will give you instant feedback.
You might also find yourself consumed by powerful cravings if you eat a sugary snack. Each person's body will respond differently. Be especially careful not to overdo it the first time you cheat, especially if you have gone a long time without any sugar. My first cheat was a Gigi's cupcake, after going almost 5 months without sugar. Not the smartest move. About ten minutes later, I thought I was going to throw up! Start with something small, like a cookie.

Take care of yourself by eating natural foods with no added sugar most of the time, and then enjoy those moments when you get to indulge!

Monday Challenge: Surge Training

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by simonglucas

I hate to spend long periods of time running on a treadmill, so I was really glad when I learned that research is now showing that exercising in short, intense bursts has even higher benefits than exercising at a medium intensity for longer periods of time. (Yay for me!) I don’t have hours and hours of time to devote to exercise, and quite honestly, even if I did have more time, I wouldn’t spend it working out.

I will tell you, though, that as my body shifted from burning sugar to burning fat, my desire to get moving increased. A lot. My energy and endurance exploded. I now actually enjoy going out to the garage to exercise. Part of this is because of my increased energy. Part of it is because I know the workout will be nice and short, and it won’t really take much time away from my day!

Surge Training (also known as burst training) takes very little time. Don’t be misled, though. It’s no cake walk. It’s hard work. Sometimes I experience sore muscles. I always experience fatigue, and I’m definitely wiped out when I finish.

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by Kenna Takahashi

Today, I’m going to give you some basics on how to surge train, but I’m not an expert—please follow the links below and/or research surge training on your own to understand all of the important information, such as maximum heart rate, before you start.

Basically, when you surge train, you push your heart rate up near its maximum for short bursts of time. This gets oxygen deep into your muscles and can actually raise your resting metabolism for the rest of the day to burn more fat and build lean muscle. It also helps fight depression, and raises your body’s level of HGH (human growth hormone).

To begin surging, choose an exercise, such as running in place. For 20 seconds, perform that exercise full out. Push as hard as you can, holding nothing back. If you’re really pushing, you will feel fatigued before you hit 20 seconds, but keep pushing.

When you reach 20 seconds, stop and rest for 20 seconds, then start over. You will complete this process 3 times, which takes 1:40. Then, rest for 2 minutes, and repeat the process again 2 more times, for a total of 3 sets. The entire process, including rest periods, takes 9 minutes.

Your time will look like this:

0:00 Surge
0:20 Rest
0:40 Surge
1:00 Rest
1:20 Surge
1:40 Rest (2 minute rest between sets)

3:40 Surge
4:00 Rest
4:20 Surge
4:40 Rest
5:00 Surge
5:20 Rest (2 minute rest between sets)

7:20 Surge
7:40 Rest
8:00 Surge
8:20 Rest
8:40 Surge
9:00 Finished!

Today’s Monday Challenge is for you to start surge training this week! Make sure to leave a rest day in between surge days, for a total of 3-4 surge training sessions per week.

Check out these links for more information:

Lose Weight with a Short, Powerfully Effective Workout

Proper Exercise

Are You a Muscle Building, Far Burning Machine?

Workout of the Week: Split Squats

Learning How to Surge Train

If you want an even more intense workout, Maximized Living has started a newer surge program, Max T3. This program takes surge training up a notch, for a total of 12 minutes, and takes away the 2 minute rest periods.

“Like” Life, Unrefined on Facebook. Click here.

Primal Scotch Eggs

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When my husband showed me this picture, my low-fat trained brain just about went into convulsions. At first glance, this looks like the absolute antithesis of healthy eating. Look a little deeper, however, and you'll realize it's a great protein packed breakfast you can take with you, and it tastes so good you feel guilty, simply because you think you should!

These taste great either hot or cold, and because they're a grab and go food, the prep time can sneak up on you. This recipe is certainly simple, but it can take up more of your morning than you want it to, if you don't plan ahead.


To make hot Scotch Eggs:

The night before:

Hard boil and peel 8 eggs
Mix up 1 pound of homemade sausage
Divide the sausage into 8 equal parts and wrap around the eggs.
Brown the outside of the sausage by frying over medium-high heat. Make sure to use oil that can withstand higher temps. Although olive oil is a great cooking and baking oil, don't use it for something like this. If it smokes, it has gone rancid and has turned from a good oil to a bad oil. Coconut oil is a great choice for this recipe.
Place the sausage covered eggs in the refrigerator.

In the morning:

Bake the sausage covered eggs at 375 for at least 10 minutes, or until warmed through.


To make cold Scotch eggs:

Follow all of the above steps, even baking, the night before. In the morning, simply grab your Scotch eggs on the way out the door!

To see the original Primal Scotch Eggs recipe from Mark's Daily Apple, click here.

Restocking Your Kitchen

http://www.flickr.com/ Photo by thekitchendesigner.org

You may be trying to switch to a diet of natural, whole foods, but how do you transform your kitchen to help move you toward your goals? What do you do with those thirteen boxes of mac and cheese, 7 bottles of ketchup, and 4 cases of Coke you already bought because you were stocking up? Where do you start?

Get rid of the bad. In the perfect world, you would just wheel a dumpster into your kitchen and toss everything in, but most people’s budgets can’t handle a total restocking all at once. Even if you did have enough money to do that, you might not even know what you want to buy instead and would be left with nothing but empty cupboards.

While you're trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge into natural foods, or attempting to figure out just what the heck you're actually allowed to eat on an eating plan like this, finish up what's already in your kitchen and don't buy any more!

We had about a 2 week window between deciding to start Maximized Living and actually doing it. During those two weeks, I tried to buy as little as possible at the grocery store. We ate up everything we could from our pantry, cupboards, refrigerator and freezer. When something was gone, we ate something else instead of replacing it. (And yes, we had some very weird meals during that time, especially toward the end!)

We still didn’t completely eat everything. I’d been a big “stocker upper” and had a lot of boxes of Hamburger Helper and other pasta mixes that we just couldn’t finish. I gave food away to people who wanted it. I donated some, and yes, I did throw some away.

Do what you must to get rid of the bad foods, but don't leave them in your cupboards. If you do, you will eat them, especially during the first couple of weeks when you're having intense cravings.

Do some research. The perfect time to do this is while you’re cleaning out/finishing up the bad food in your house. Read books like Body by God, or Maximized Living Nutrition Plans, or check out the Maximized Living Blog. Collect some recipes you want to use. Try websites like Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, 100 Days of Real Food, and Maximized Living Recipes. Write down some of the “new” ingredients you want to buy and browse through your regular grocery store(s) to compare prices and check out their healthier inventory. Take some time to really understand what you want to buy and eat so you don’t waste money when you start buying more natural food.

Plan a menu. When you do start your new eating plan, don't get overwhelmed by choosing too many new recipes, which will result in gigantic shopping lists, oversized grocery bills, and hours in the kitchen. Just choose a couple of new recipes to try each week, and then plan some other meals that use similar ingredients so you’re not having to buy so many different things all at once. (Hint: Think simple, like roasted chicken with fresh or frozen vegetables.)Some of the better-for-you ingredients can cost a lot more, but they may also last a lot longer, so buy only what you can afford and slowly build up your pantry.

Replace slowly. When our family first cut out refined sugar and flour, our pantry looked almost bare. It was really kind of scary to open the door and find baggies, nuts and seeds, and some dried fruit. The cupboards didn’t look much different. I wasn’t sure what ingredients we would need, and so I didn’t buy very much, sticking with general staples like frozen vegetables and chicken, neither of which was stored in the panty. Over time, however, as I found more recipes I liked and discovered which ingredients we could have, I started finding sales again and stocked up on new, better foods. The cupboards and pantry are once again full of food, but this time, it’s much better for us!