Banana Bread

Banana bread is a sneaky treat. It sounds healthy, but it often has a lot of sugar and fat. This version is just as yummy and is a bit friendlier for your waistline. This recipe includes healthy coconut oil and coconut sugar. You can have a very generous serving of this and slice it into 8 slices, but we prefer to make it last and cut it into slivers.

Ingredients

• 3 large, ripe bananas, mashed 
• 1/4 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond flower 
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Coat a bread pan with cooking spray, set aside 
• Combine mashed bananas, oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl, mix well to combine 
• Combine almond flour, flour baking powder, sugar, and salt in a separate mixing bowl, stir to combine 

• Add flour mixture to banana mixture, slowly until a smooth batter forms 
• Pour and spread batter into bread pan
  
  
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean 
• Cool for 5 minutes in pan 
• Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack 

My favorite way to enjoy this banana bread is for breakfast with a tbsp of natural peanut butter and my cup of coffee. Give it a try!

Transformation Journey: 80 Day Obsession

This transformation and this program is where I realized that abs truly are made in the kitchen!

This program was 80 days. I will be honest and say that I did not plug into the nutrition plan 100% until a few weeks in. I kicked myself for that. I was eating what I thought was healthy, but realized when I properly fueled my body, I had more energy and my body responded and rewarded me for my efforts.  The first two pictures are only two weeks apart. TWO WEEKS! Nutrition plays a HUGE role in your results. You can’t outrun or outwork your fork.

I know how difficult and how daunting clean eating can be at first. It gets easier as you do it. Take it in steps and make small changes. Remember, you’ve got this. If you ever need support, let me know. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader. 80 Day Obsession is a step-by-step fitness and nutrition program designed to get you flatter abs and a toned bum. What's unique about this format is that it includes 80 different workouts so you never get bored. It also completely overhauled my view of nutrition. This program included a nutrition plan based on the Timed-Nutrition theory, so you're fueling your body strategically pre and post-workout to burn fat, build muscle, and keep your energy up... which leads to incredible results! The workouts are a little more intense, but if you're a beginner there's a modifier for you! Each workout is anywhere from 30-60 minutes long, with most averaging 45-60 minutes in length.

If you are interested in hearing more about this program or more about the accountability groups I run each month, fill out this form and I'll get back to you soon.

Black Bean Tostadas

I love Mexican food. I could honestly eat it every single night. Burritos, tacos, taquitos, enchiladas, quesadillas... you name it, I love it. I make it a point to meal plan at least one healthy version of my favorite dishes once a week. This one is super simple to make. We are all about quick, easy, and healthy meals on busy week nights. This one checks all of those boxes.

Ingredients Tostadas:

• 6 Corn Tortillas 
• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced (1 tsp) 
• 1 Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
• Hot Sauce (optional) 
• 3 Cups Baby Spinach, Chopped 
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 
• 6 Tbsp 0% Plain Greek Yogurt
• 10 Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped and Divided 

Ingredients Guacamole: 

• 1 Avocado, Chopped 
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions Guacamole:

• In a small bowl mash together avocado, lime juice, and salt using a fork

Instructions Tostadas: 

• Preheat oven to 425°F 
• Spray both sides of the corn tortillas with Olive Oil Spray
• Place in the oven for 12 minutes, flipping half way through 
• Chop baby spinach leaves into small pieces
• Chop 1/2 cup cilantro
• Chop tomatoes, divide them 
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat
• Add garlic, beans, and hot sauce to taste, cook for 4 minutes, slightly mashing with a fork 
• Remove beans from heat 
• Top the crispy tortillas with the bean mixture, spinach, cilantro, tomatoes and guacamole, and 1Tbsp Greek Yogurt 

These are best when eaten with a fork and knife. I hope you enjoy them!

Homemade Coconut Dark Chocolate Bars

These homemade dark chocolate and coconut bars are healthy and hit the spot... Especially when you're craving something sweet. There are only 6 ingredients (I promise you can name all of them!) and they're super easy-to-make, which makes them even better in my book. They're also husband and toddler approved! 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup raw almonds 
• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted peanuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (60%+ Cacao) 

Instructions

• Chop and pit dates
• Combine dates and all other ingredients in a large blender or food processor 
• Pulse then blend until all ingredients become smooth and form a large lump
• Line an 8x8 pan with parchment 
• Remove ingredients from blender/food processor and press into the pan 

• Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm 
• Cut into squares 
• Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week 

When you make these you're guaranteed to have a healthy snack to reach for in the fridge. We love having them on hand! Hope you enjoy! If you try them please leave a comment and let me know what you think! 

Transformation Journey: Insanity Max: 30

This transformation is near and dear to my heart. It's a HUGE deal for me. This was after having Gabe. Prior to pregnancy I was the healthiest and fittest I had ever been. A short 4 months after I had gotten my results from T25 I got pregnant with Gabe. While I made a conscious effort to stay active with prenatal workouts and walks around the neighborhood, I gained quite a bit of weight. My weight had reached 170 when I had Gabe.

I will be honest. I wasn't worried about trying a million things to fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. I had something that I knew would work because it had worked for me a year before: an at-home fitness program under the guidance of a superstar trainer with a simple-to-follow nutrition plan paired with an online accountability group full of supportive people reaching for the same goals.

The program is by one of my favorite super-trainers, Shaun T. This time it was Insanity Max: 30. 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week with NO equipment needed. You use your body weight to get insane results.

These were my results:

Insanity Max: 30 can help you get ridiculous results in just 60 days thanks to Shaun T's MAX OUT training. You work as hard as you can during each workout for as long as you can until you "Max Out" (when you just can't do anymore or begin to lose form). You get to log your Max Out time, and when you come to the workout again try to crush your previous week's time.

These are total body workouts that feature some killer cardio with tabata-style strength workouts. They help you lose weight and sculpt and tone your body.

Believe me when I say this program wasn't the easiest thing I've jumped into. There was a lot of sweat and (some) tears involved.  BUT! I made it through and lost 45 pounds in 60 days. If I can do this, you can too. There is a modifier for every single work out, so everyone can push to their max.

If I can do this, you definitely can too.

If you think this program might be the right fit for you, you can grab the challenge pack here. The challenge pack comes with an insane value. With it you get one year of access to ALL of the programs Beachbody has created, plus anything released within the year of your subscription. So when you're done with Max: 30, you can jump into another program. You also get a month of our superfood shake (I have it every day for breakfast--vanilla is my favorite!), as well as all of the materials you need to get your nutrition started off on the right foot. If you decide to join, you will also get access to all of my support and accountability groups for free for the year. I'd love to be your biggest cheerleader! It's a wonderful community.

If you're interested in joining an accountability group and starting or continuing your own health and fitness journey, but don't think Max: 30 is the right program to start, fill out this form. I'll be in touch to chat with you so we can find the best program to fit your needs and start you on your own transformation journey.