Oatmeal and Avocado

I confess, I love butter. We eventually changed from margarine (what is that, really?!) to real, organic butter. I usually only use a little bit in my oatmeal.

Today I had an avocado that was getting really soft, and so I mashed it up and put it in my oatmeal! It was weirdly good! I guess technically avocado is a fatty fruit. It's only been in the last 2 years that I have discovered I love them. They are full of so many nutrients and healthy fat that honestly they are one of my favorite super foods.

I was so hungry I didn't even think about taking a picture until after I'd finished it. I'm not sure it would have looked too appetizing anyway.

So the next time you are thinking about using butter in your oatmeal, or on your toast, etc. use a mashed avocado instead. For sure if you still have margarine in the house, get rid of that stuff! I don't care if it does say "no trans fat" or that is has olive oil in it.

Do you love avocado? What are some ways that you eat it?

Preparing to Start the Ultimate Reset

I'm squealy excited about this and kind of scared too. My Ultimate Reset start date is July 11! It is suggested to start on a Wednesday because days 3-5 can be tough, so they would fall on the weekend when you can get extra rest or deal with issues. I work from home, so I don't anticipate I would need that, but I'm going to do it as suggested so I can better coach others.

I've read through my book. Each phase has a purpose. The first phase (week 1) is about getting control again. The structure, the food, the timing. This is going to be great for me because I tend to freestyle. For 21 days I'll have specific meals, portions and recipes to follow. The supplements, eating and drinking are purposeful and this is much needed for me. Knowing what to eat and doing it are two different things. I'm a little nervous about the cooking aspect. I tend to eat single items, maybe two or three on my plate, I cook in bulk a lot and tend to make concoctions, not recipes. It's been a while since I've had my hands on ingredients and recipes.

I have a space in my kitchen for all my reset stuff - supplements, program and nutrition guide, shopping lists, etc. If I don't organize myself I tend to get scattered. I've decided to keep it all in this cute little red basket.

So here are the other things I need to do to prep:

• Visit the website and indicate my start date (I'll get emails each day for meal reminders & encouragement)
• Print off my shopping lists for each week
• Join the phase one (week 1) online forum for support
• Go grocery shopping! 
• Brush off some of those kitchen gadgets I've not used in a while!

Stay tuned - more to come on my Ultimate Reset adventure!

I'm Doing the Ultimate Reset!

Okay, so I've finally decided to start the Ultimate Reset. After attending our Beachbody Coach Summit I realized it is the right thing to do. I'm always saying I wish I could hit a reset button. Well now I can! Guess I wish it could really be that easy, but it will take some work.

Here is what my kit looks like:

I also got a very cool long-handled brush for dry brushing my skin!

The first thing I am going to do is dig into the Program and Nutrition Guide. Looks like this will walk me through more detail on the concept, the phases (each week is a phase) and their purpose; the supplements, what to expect, how to prepare, the common lifestyle issues I will need to address, a personal assessment, the supplement regimen and timing, and the meal plans for each day. 

I've decided that my start date will be July 11. From what I understand, Days 3-5 are the toughest, so they suggest starting on a Wednesday so the tough days fall on the weekend. I work from home, so I'm not sure it matters, but that makes sense to me and so I am going to do it so I can grasp it and help others with it. 

Let me know if you want more information on this program! Check it out at my Beachbody website.  

The Best Detox Program Available

So you want to do a cleanse or a detox? Well I have one for you.

I just spent an entire week in Vegas at the Beachbody Coach Summit and got to talk to a lot of people about the Ultimate Reset. Two years in the making, from experts Isabelle Daikeler and Darin Olien (co-creators of Shakeology), the Ultimate Reset has been through test groups and people all over with astounding results. We're seeing people lower their cholesterol, drop weight, stabilize blood sugar, lose unwanted inches, lower their blood pressure, increase energy and clarity and resolve digestive issues.

After this week I'm convinced. 

It comes as a kit with very specific supplements, a detailed meal by meal food plan with recipes, DVDs on preparing yourself and cooking/food prep tips and demonstrations, a FAQ, online support forums, shopping lists, a commitment bracelet, and guidance from your Beachbody Coach (um, that would be me).

You need to know that this isn't some crazy Hollywood starvation pooping cleanse.

This isn't a drop 2 dress sizes really fast kind of thing (although some have). This is 21 days of a structured lifestyle change with supplements and food prep and cooking and eating whole, fresh food. It nourishes your body with the things you need to the cellular level. It's a push to try new things, new combos and get messy in the kitchen again. Shoot, you'll even spend some time in the produce section instead of the cookie aisle, and you'll wake up your taste buds!

I will be doing this cleanse and sharing my experience. I came home with my kit and am deciding on a start date. Stay tuned for my adventure with it, but in the meantime, check out this video: