Do you really know what you're eating? -Documentaries

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to introduce some documentaries.  Watching these has lead me to completely change what I thought to be a healthy lifestyle.  Now I have a completely different outlook on everything.

For most people there is a disconnect where their food comes from.  The grocery store, right?
Wrong.
Your meat and dairy products start in factory farms.  This business idea for the meat and dairy industry came from the fast food industry to make production quicker and cheaper.  There is no surprise that health is a concern when talking about fast food but you may see every day foods in a different light after watching a few of the below. 
Watch a few and let me know your thoughts below!

https://youtu.be/jRp71BwRW8c  $2.99

http://www.cowspiracy.com/

You can also watch this on Netflix for $FREE

https://youtu.be/jtyp2dKRmeM  $6.99

https://youtu.be/zD8e4Mg3NFU    $3.99

https://youtu.be/n1LUj3kxB9M   $3.99

https://youtu.be/hHCCFjB8M48   $FREE

Vegan Banana Muffins RECIPE

I have been transitioning my diet since earlier this year.  

Now it was not a New Years goal I set but just sort of happened after expanding my knowledge of the food industry.  

However, I am not a Vegan.  

I will no longer purchase animal products at the grocery store or use them in my day to day cooking but I have had a food item here and there during various occasions that would not put me in the Vegan category.  I am not striving to put the label on myself but just to focus mainly on eating a plant-based diet.

ANYWAYS...

Here is the Banana Muffin recipe I've recently tried and 

will continue to use because they taste AMAZING!


INGREDIENTS

4 medium Bananas (~400g)
1 medium Apple (~1/2 cup applesauce)
1/4 cup Oil of choice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Sugar of Choice

2 cups flours of choice
1/2 tbsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda



DIRECTIONS


Mix 2 tablespoons of ground flax with 6 tablespoons of water.  Set this aside for now.  I put mine in the fridge because it seems to help it set quicker.

Mash 4 ripe bananas. 
Add in 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup applesauce (a medium apple ground in a food processor works just fine), 1/3 cup sugar of choice and 1/4 cup oil of choice.

In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of flour of choice, 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp Baking Soda and 1/4 tsp salt.

Your ground flax mixture should be thick and gel-like before adding to the wet ingredient mixture.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in.
Mix until combined.

The mixture will be very thick.
You can add any extras you'd like: dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts/seeds, etc.

Use Liners or grease up the pan.  I used half liners and half coconut oil which came out of the pan just fine without sticking.

Bake on 300 for 20 minutes.  
Turn up to 350 and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Let the muffins completely cool in the pan before removing.  They can then be stored in a bag/container in the fridge or frozen for later use.

The macros without any additional ingredients are shown below.  
They may vary depending on which sugar/flour/oil product you choose as well as any extra ingredients or toppings.  If you are looking for a higher protein banana muffin you can always add a plant based protein powder.

Preparing for the busy week ahead!

This week I am covering 2 extra shifts closing the gym.  That means I will be working M-F from 9am to 11pm.  Staying on track with my nutrition can only be done with a plan.  Your food doesn't have to be complicated.  In fact, it should be as simple as possible.  I've prepared the following very simple meals for the entire week so there is no room for error as I am now 8 weeks out from my competition.

I have 3 meals made for each day...

Oats with chia seeds, blueberries and banana.  I'll add almond milk each morning.

Quinoa with edamame beans.

 

Whole wheat wrap filled with chickpeas, black beans, avocado, hummus and kale.

In addition to those meals I also have a ton of snacks.  I have raw veggies, rice crackers and hummus.  As well as bananas, blueberries, peaches and mangoes.  And of course my day wouldn't be complete without a Quest bar!  
**Since Monday is almost already over I'll add that I have had a coconut cashew Quest bar, 4 bananas, and about 1/4 cup of blueberries aside from pictures posted.  Plus plenty of water!!

I'm on YouTube!

I've wanted to start a YouTube channel to document my NPC prep for over a year now.  

A YEAR!  

I am finally putting that plan into action!  I've been playing around with videos which are up on my account already just to get the hang of recording and editing.  I'm still working on getting comfortable in front of the camera but I think they have improved so much from where I began and i'm excited to start my first prep series this weekend.

I will probably be leaving this blog for recipes unless another idea pops up, so 

check out the link below and subscribe to follow along!  

CHECK OUT MY YouTube ACCOUNT HERE!

Get your Priorities Straight Already!!!

 

Why is it so difficult to work on a project?  I say project but I really mine my life direction.  I mean it took me a year after competing my Fitness Specialist degree to take the ACE Personal Training Exam.  Now I have various projects that I can't seem to keep up with.  I'm bouncing all over the place instead of choosing one to get under way before picking up the next.  I'm really writing this post for myself to sort out my thoughts and make a timeline for all of these projects I have in mind.  If you are still reading this you are either bored or just interested in following my journey. 

 

So what I really need to do is create a list of my projects and put them in order of priority.  This is something I haven't actually done yet so here goes...

 

 

1. Choose a gym to train at

2. Start training.

3. Get website set up.

4. Create & upload 1 YouTube video each week.

5. Create & post 1 blog entry each week.

6. Get ACE Fitness Nutrition Certification.

7. Start a group on Meet-Up?

8. Create recipe ebooks.

 

 

Now that I am a Certified Personal Trainer it is time to focus on the reason WHY I became one, and that is to help as many people as possible.  I can't do that unless I have somewhere to train people.  I already work at the front desk of a gym but the problem is they don't offer many benefits.  There is another local gym that give medical, dental and even offers 401K.  No brainer, right? 

 

After I official begin at a gym then I think I will feel more comfortable with the title of Personal Trainer.  Right now I don't even feel like I have the title.  Anyways I am in the process of getting my website set up.  I want that to be completed ASAP so I can start some other projects on my own.  Specifically the Meet-Up group and getting business cards made.

 

Creating YouTube videos and blog entries is something I want to continuously work on immediately but it will not be a huge focus until I begin working at a gym training people.

 

I have a huge passion for nutrition and it fits perfectly along with guiding people in their training.  I love to find healthier ways of making foods that might not be so healthy.  That is where I want the ebooks to come in.  This is also something I can do over time as I experiment with recipes but again, not a main focus right now.

 

 

I could break down each one with steps of how to get each done.  But I already know what I need to do and if I wrote it ALL down this would be way too long and it would guarantee that no one would read it.  Is anyone still reading?  Give it a +1 if you finished!!  Now the real struggle is going to be staying on track with my fitness-future goals and balancing the rest of my life.  If you have any tips on balancing all aspects of your life without going crazy please share below!

 

 

 

Let me know in the comments below any blog topics you would be interested in reading.  This, after all, was created for others to read, enjoy and hopefully get some useful information.

Black Bean Burger RECIPE!

 INGREDIENTS:

2  16oz cans of beans

1/2 cup corn

1/2 Onion

1-3 Garlic cloves

1/2 large bell pepper

2 Eggs

1 cup flour of choice

salt, pepper & seasonings of choice

Yields: 10 patties

DIRECTIONS:

Drain 2 cans of beans and smash them until they become  paste-like consistency

In a food processor grind up the garlic gloves, onion, bell pepper and mix into the beans.

Add the eggs, spices and mix in.

Mix in the corn.  You can grind up the kernels in a food processor or leave them whole.

Mix in 1/2 cup flour of choice.  Then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup.

Use a circle cookie cutter to cut squares of parchment paper that will layer between the patties.

Place the cookie cutter on a square of parchment paper and fill with the black bean mixture.  

Let them set up in the freezer a bit before stacking them or else they will end up flat as a pancake!

Then you can stack and store them in a freezer bag/container.

ENJOY!