Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Mango Salsa :: Whole30 Worthy

Hey guys!

If you follow me on Instagram you know I'm doing the Whole30 diet this month and I've been experimenting with grain, dairy, sugar and legume free meals. Last night my sister Larissa came over (she's doing the diet with me) and we made this awesome macadamia nut crusted halibut with salsa and mango.

I've had a few ask for the recipe and I didn't really measure anything so take it for what it's worth. :)

Ingredients:
Small piece of halibut
Handful of macadamia nuts
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Salsa of your choice for topping (I would have done mango salsa but it usually has added sugar and that's not Whole30 approved)
1 mango cut up

Here's what you do:
 - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
 - Process or blend macadamia nuts until they're a good smooth texture for coating the fish
 - Mix a pinch of salt into the macadamia nuts and set aside
 - Beat the egg in a bowl
 - Dip the halibut in the egg and then coat it with the macadamia nut mix
 - Wrap the halibut in aluminum foil and and leave an opening in the top
 - Bake in a glass dish for 20 - 25 minutes
 - Check to see if it's nice and flaky before you take it out of the oven
 - Top with salsa and mango
 - Enjoy!

If you're not on the Whole30 diet, add a lil' fresh parmesan cheese to the macadamia nut mixture... :)

Things I Love Lately.

I wanted to share a couple things I've been loving lately...

 I have not had a young coconut in way too long. Last week I had a little bit of a headache at work and one of my sweet friends brought me this. It totally helped! 

 I'm trying something new. Lately, I suck at eating veggies so I decided to wash, cut and place them in a convenient spot in the fridge. Hopefully this will make eating veggies easier. I will report back and if it's successful then I'll add some more variety.

I just download this app with awesome workouts and activity tracking. It is loaded with quick and effective workouts. Free on iPhone!

 Started using my FitBit again. It's a great way for me to check on my daily activity levels.

I've been trying to read one sutra a day. Deep reading but truly inspiring.

Happy Fitnessing!

Three Day Cleanse & Detox Plan

After a week in NYC eating everything in sight It was time for a little internal spring cleaning. Eric and I both just felt like our digestive systems needed a break so here is our own little 3 day cleanse we did together.

Day 1: Woke up hungry, dang it! I love breakfast and the fact that it was Monday AND I was on a cleanse made it a sad, sad morning. I decided to be happy anyway, even after my chia kombucha committed suicide all over me! Man, those things sure are explosive so consider yourself warned. I really didn't drink a lot of juice this day as I was considering it as kind of a fasting day - I just felt like that is what I needed. Of course I drank a lot of water throughout the day though. I really enjoyed yoga that night. It had been a while since I had done a full practice and the cleanse and practicing yoga seemed to go hand in hand. I was on a serious high after class. :) That night I went to bed and my stomach kept me from falling asleep. I was really hungry! I finally drifted into a lovely deep sleep... until I had to wake up 3 times to use the bathroom :/

Breakfast * 16 oz Chia Kombucha
Lunch * 16 oz Green drink {celery, apple, kale and lemon}
Snack *  Coconut water with aloe drink
Dinner * Red drink {carrot, beet, celery and ginger}

Day 2: Started the day out with a big drink of water and made an almond milk shake. I felt rested and fresh but a little weak. Luckily I wasn't hungry and was able to resist all the amazing food that was being served during a morning meeting at work. After the meeting and my somewhat satisfying shake I was feeling really good! Later that day I ate a little bit of quinoa and an apple for lunch with a friend just because I hate meeting somebody for lunch and then they don't eat anything... lame. I washed it down with some ginger kombucha. After work I was able to make it through an intense run... although I did lower the intensity a little bit from what I usually do because I was cleansing and didn't want to risk making myself sick. The Pineorpple drink I picked up at work before running seemed to give me just enough spike to get me through it. It sure was yummy too!! That night for dinner I had my red drink and avocado and tomato on a thin slice of sour dough rye bread. It felt like I had eaten Thanksgiving dinner! Ha ha it sure was yummy.

Breakfast * 16 oz Almond Milk shake
Lunch * 1/2 cup quinoa + 1 apple + Ginger kombucha
Pre-workout snack * Pineorrple juice {Pineapple, apple orange}
Dinner * 1/2 avocado + 1/2 tomato on sourdough rye bread + Red drink

Day 3: Woke up super hungry and excited to have an almond milk shake with a banana and peanut butter in it. The third day I decided to add more solid food. Yay! I had the same lunch as the day before because I loved it so much and for dinner, well same as the day before too. Felt great! Was able to fit a great workout in as well! After dinner I even treated myself to some oatmeal with almond milk and honey!

Breakfast * 16oz Almond milk shake with a boost!
Lunch * 1/2 cup quinoa + 1 apple + 16 oz Green drink {celery, apple, kale and lemon}
Pre-workout snack * Apple chips + apple cider vinegar drink
Dinner * 1/2 avocado + 1/2 tomato on sourdough rye bread + Red drink
Snack * Oatmeal in Almond milk + cinnamon and honey

Happy Fitnessing!

Tuesday Tip :: 5 Areas of Eating Clean & Real Food

I've been asked a lot recently about what I eat and tips on eating healthy. I love getting asked these questions because I'm super passionate about eating real food and have felt the benefits of it in my life.

Before I start this post though I must disclaim that I am in no way a perfect eater but I always have goals to be better and usually Monday - Friday I'm pretty darn close to perfect but I do like to have fun going out to dinner on the weekends and occasionally during the week. I will say after changing your diet and eating healthier you'll find you don't crave icky junk food as much, if ever, which is so cool!

                

                

If I can offer any advice to those just getting started and trying to change their diet from processed foods to clean, real food... take it 1 step at a time. Start with something you're confident you can change. When that step becomes a habit, move on to the next, but only when that first step taken is a habit, like second nature, no big deal. Taking it 1 step at a time will help to give your body and budget the subtle adjusting that it needs in order to really become a habit. Jumping all in at once can just turn into a disaster where your body will feel deprived and your wallet robbed. 


Here are the top 5 categories of food/nutrition I would say are the most important and straight forward that I started with:

1. Water - find clean spring water or water that is filtered of things like chlorine and fluoride.

2. Organic produce - start with avoiding any produce on the Dirty Dozen list. I like to get all my produce organic if possible because I think it just tastes better but if I can find yummy local or sustainably farmed that is usually just as good and sometimes even better.

3. Dairy Products - Raw milk and other raw dairy products are ideal because they are nutrient dense and contain good probiotics and enzymes to help you digest it. When looking for raw milk sources make sure the cows are raised properly and kindly :) It's also nice to know if the milk is tested properly but if the cows are eating their proper diet (grass) usually the milk will be clean and heathy because the cows themselves are eating clean and healthy. If you can't find a good source of raw milk then this would be my second choice.

4. Meat from Happy Animals - Look for grass-fed or pasture raised, hormone and antibiotic free beef, organic hormone free chicken that is also raised without antibiotics. I rarely eat pork and only do if I know that it was raised organically and sustainably. As far as fish goes look for fresh, wild caught sources, which also taste so so much better.

5. Sugar - try to stick with natural sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup, molasses, coconut palm sugar, raw cane sugar, evaporated cane juice and stevia.

I will be posting more real food tips I try on here so keep your eyes out! I would also love to hear any tips you have taken to eating a cleaner diet.
            

(^^green smoothie and a homemade clean REAL pumpkin pie^^)

Happy Fitnessing!

Tuesday Tip :: Drink More Water!

Drinking enough water on a daily basis is so important. If I don't get enough water in me I get irritable, tired, and my head will hurt. They say you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces. I shoot to overreach that number to ensure I am fully hydrated. Plus, when you are working out everyday you should be drinking an even greater amount ("hydrating during exercise" a post for another day).

As long as I have my bottle with me at all times I can guarantee that I'll be getting enough water. Each time I look at my pink water bottle I am prompted to drink. If I forget to bring my water bottle to work than I can go the whole work day without drinking water! It's not good. I've even started taking my water bottle with me when I run errands, and go to shows or other events. Basically anytime you see me, I've got my pink water bottle. That way there's no excuse for me to be dehydrated.

Drinking enough water and getting adequate daily hydration, if you're not already, is one of the easiest ways to improve your health. You will also begin to see fast results in how you feel AND look! This is one advice I feel very qualified to give. Get a water bottle, keep it with you always, and drink water!

Happy Fitnessing!