Living Life Balanced Blog

7 Day Slim Down

6/30/2018

Whether you are preparing for a vacation or event and want to look and feel your best, or you feel like you recently "fell off the wagon" and are ready to get back on, or maybe you just have been looking to lose a few pounds and nothing else seems to work....this is the program for you!

You will receive a 7 day sample meal plan with ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks along with recipes, a corresponding grocery list and a workout plan. The best part? You get to choose your own *BONUS* treat each day!

No crash diets, no restrictions, no starvation, no all-liquid diet, no extreme exercise.
Get ready to banish bloat and lose weight!

Don't have any weight to lose but are just looking for new healthy recipes? This program works for you too! This program is designed for everyone. If you happen to be more active or have a high metabolism, you can choose to eat more snacks, if you are less active, you can take out a snack. Even if you don't have any weight to lose, you might realize that your body has been holding on to some water weight.

You will get more in tune with your body and what it needs by eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole-grains. You can't go wrong! Let me do the workout and meal planning, grocery list and recipe making and all you have to do is follow the directions and listen to your body!

Another bonus with joining the group session is that you will have the motivation from me and all the other participants on my private Facebook group! It is always nice to have someone to do a program with :)

If this time-frame doesn't work for you, you can also choose to sign-up on your own time OR wait until the next group session (I will host these sessions once per quarter)! Need a little extra help? Contact me for questions OR one-on-one health coaching!

Check out some of the results below! What will YOUR results look like?!

Sign-up here!

7 Day Slim Down with Elena McCown, LLC Franklin, TN

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Grain-Free Lemon Blueberry Cake

6/20/2018

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For the last few weeks, I had been wanting to bake a cake but I didn't really have a specific reason to make one. I knew if I made one just for the two of us, I would end up eating most of it. I realized our one year anniversary of moving into our house was coming up, so I decided to invite our wonderful neighbors over to celebrate with cake on our back deck!

Normally I like to make everything from scratch but I decided to doctor up Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Mix this time. I like Simple Mills products and this one is naturally gluten-free and made with 6 simple ingredients - almond flour, coconut sugar, arrowroot, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt. I wanted a summery flavor so I decided on lemon blueberry.

I made two layers and kept them in the fridge covered in saran wrap for a day until I was ready to assemble. An hour before the celebration, I made the frosting and put it all together. I would not recommend frosting the cake with this frosting any earlier than an hour before serving as it slowly starts to soak into the cake (which actually makes it even more moist but will not look as pretty). I honestly threw together the frosting with several random ingredients I had in the fridge but it turned out great...kind of like a semi-tart yogurt frosting.

I also think this cake would taste amazing with a lemon curd filling and whipped coconut cream frosting. I can't wait to make another one and try that out. I like this mix better than any other cake mix because it is simple, not too sweet and made with real ingredients. Although it looked a little dense (from the frosting soaking through), it felt and tasted light and I would describe the texture as something between a sponge cake and regular cake. I will definitely use this mix again.

Grain-Free Lemon Blueberry Cake: Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Paleo from Elena McCown, LLC

Servings: 16 skinny 2 layer slices or 8 large slices
Prep/Total Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

Cake

2 boxes Simple Mills Vanilla Cupcake & Cake Mix
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites (whipped)
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup Ripple unsweetened vanilla pea milk (or your favorite milk/milk alternative)
1 Tbsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries

Frosting

4 oz Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread, Plain
1/3 cup Ripple unsweetened vanilla pea milk (or your favorite milk/milk alternative)
1 ripe banana
1 avocado
2 cups blueberries
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Cake

Heat oven to 350° F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and dust with a tsp of the cake mix in each pan; set aside.
Using a high-speed mixer, mix the egg whites on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Whisk eggs, egg yolks, oil, milk, vanilla extract and lemon extract until well blended and then add in the cake mix. Fold in the egg whites until thoroughly incorporated.
Pour mixture into both prepared pans and slowly drop one cup of blueberries evenly into each pan.
Bake for 35 minutes and test for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center. If it still comes out moist, cover tops with aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Loosen sides and invert onto wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Frost the top of one cake and place the other cake gently on top. Using a sharp knife, cut around the cake to make sure all sides line up evenly. Frost the sides of the cake and then the top, making sure to keep it smooth. Thinly slice a lemon if you would like to for decoration.
Store in the fridge until ready to serve and enjoy!

Frosting

Add all ingredients into either a blender or bowl with an emulsion blender.
Blend until extremely smooth.
If you would like your frosting to be a little sweeter, add honey.

Unfrosted Grain-Free Lemon Blueberry Cake

Frosted and Sliced Grain-Free Lemon Blueberry Cake

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One Skillet Steak Meal

6/18/2018

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I love trying out new products that can potentially make healthy cooking easier for all. The other day I received an e-mail from Kroger for their Free Friday Download and it just so happened to be a packet for Knorr One Skillet Meals. We decided on the Steak & Peppers Brown Rice & Quinoa Meal Starter after looking at some of the different options. Besides the fact that it said it may contain wheat, soy, milk and it had a little higher amount of sodium than I would have liked, it really made a nice meal and it was easy to use. This would be great for people just starting out with healthy cooking that need a little more help or just want a quick, easy meal!

Note: When I dumped the mix out, all of the powder came out last so I was able to scoop some out and throw it away to help lower the amount of sodium.

Servings: 4
Prep/Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 lb. flank steak
dash of salt and pepper
2 green bell peppers, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
1 package Knorr One Skillet Meals - Steak & Peppers Brown Rice & Quinoa
1 pineapple, sliced in long sticks (if you want)

Directions:

Tenderize the steak and rub with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper. Wrap in saran wrap and place in fridge overnight.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook steak for 4-5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Remove from skillet and set aside. (We actually decided to just grill the steak because it was a nice night so we threw on the sliced pineapple on the grill as well)
Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the same skillet and cook bell peppers and onion for about 10 minutes or until they start to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add one skillet meal package and 2 cups of water into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 22 minutes or until rice is tender.
Slice steak and add the steak, onion and bell pepper into the rice quinoa mixture.
Serve with grilled pineapple on the side, or chopped up and added into the mix. (The pineapple could also be cooked along with the veggies if you want it mixed in)

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Whole Foods for Post-Workout Recovery

6/13/2018

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Whole Foods for Post-Workout Recovery: Elena McCown, LLC

You might think that your actual workout is the most important part in improving body composition and performance, but really it all takes place post-workout. This is an essential time for overall recovery and getting the highest benefits from the workout you just performed. Post-workout nutrition has three specific purposes: replenishing depleted energy stores, increasing the size of muscles and repairing the damage done during the workout. During your workouts, you are actually breaking DOWN muscle and using up fuel, so it is up to your recovery plan to build it back up bigger and better than before and increase performance, while striving to remain injury-free.

There is a "window of opportunity" during which your muscles will be most receptive of nutrients to help repair, grow and gain strength. It's important to start working on your recovery within 2 hours of your workout, ideally within 30 minutes when possible. Your body requires protein to aid in protein synthesis and carbohydrates to replace muscle glycogen and to help transport nutrients into your cells.

These snacks/meals listed below consist of whole foods that help aid in recovery:

Eggs - they provide 6 grams of protein and all 9 amino acids - pair it with 2 pieces of toast and a little avocado.
Baked Potato - they provide fiber and vitamin C, which aids in the body's healing process and combats free radicals - pair it with a cup of chili on top.
Smoothie with tart cherry juice or just the juice - tart cherry juice contains anthocyanins which helps with muscle damage, inflammation and oxidative stress - pair it with a banana, Ripple Unsweetened Pea Milk, and a Tbsp of peanut butter.
Green salad with salmon - salmon contains lean protein and Omega-3s which reduce inflammation - pair it with your favorite veggies and dressing.
Avocado toast - whole-grain bread replenishes carbohydrate reserves and avocados are rich in potassium which is lost in sweat and vitamin E which is an antioxidant which helps prevent free radicals from building up in the body - pair toast with avocado, swirl of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Whole-grain cereal and milk - choosing a low sugar, whole-grain, high protein, high fiber, high vitamin/mineral cereal is a great option on the go, and Ripple Unsweetened Pea Milk helps add more protein and calcium - pair it with chopped fruit or nuts.
Banana and nut butter - bananas contain potassium to replenish sweat and contains carbs - pair with the peanut butter for protein.

It is also important to focus on hydration and consume around 16 oz of water for every pound lost during exercise. Consume a mixture of water and electrolyte drinks if exercising for over an hour. The other part of recovery is REST. Make sure to take days off and alternate between hard and easy workouts. You deserve it and need it to perform your best.

Recovery is different for each person, so it is important to find what works best for you. If you need help coming up with a plan, please contact me!

Note: You normally don't need any special recovery plan after a leisurely stroll, bike ride, or light workout, especially if it is less than an hour, isn't very strenuous and/or you aren't sweating intensely. Plan on eating one of the above meals or snacks as part of your normal diet and drinking water (not a sports drink) as you shouldn't require anything "extra". If you have any questions on what you need, please ask!

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/about-post-workout-nutrition

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7 Ways to Stay Healthy on Vacation

6/4/2018

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7 Ways to Stay Healthy on Vacation: Elena McCown, Health Coach in Franklin, TN

I hear it all the time, "it is impossible for me to keep a healthy diet and exercise plan while on vacation." While you might think that is true...it isn't! All it takes is a little planning and preparation. The first thing you need to do is recognize that your schedule is going to be different than it usually is and while you might be exposed to more restaurants/food than you normally are at home, you can still make it work! A lot of people spend so much time working towards their "vacation body", that when their vacation finally comes...they start to undo everything by completely letting go, not working out and choosing less nutritious foods. That doesn't have to be you! The goal isn't to stay 100% on track, but to keep your motivation and determination up so you can get back on track when you return home. You can still enjoy your vacation, eat delicious food, stay active and feel great! Follow these tips to help keep your vacations healthy!

1. Drink plenty of water. If you gain a few pounds after your vacation, understand that some of those "extra pounds" really just come from water retention as a result of all the sodium added into the processed/restaurant foods you ate over the past week. Make sure to drink around 8 cups of water a day before, during and after vacation to help flush the extra water from your system. Drink mainly water and limit any other type of beverage.

2. Pack your own healthy snacks and even some meals for the drive/flight to your destination. This will prevent you from choosing less healthy options at gas stations/fast food restaurants or even the airport. Easy to pack snacks include low or no sugar/sodium trail mix, nuts, granola/protein bars, popcorn, baked chips, bananas, apples, clementines, jerky, PBJ sandwiches and water. If you are able to bring a cooler with you, you can make turkey sandwiches, pre-sliced fruit and veggies, hummus, yogurt...or any of your other favorite healthy foods! This even works if you are already at your destination and know you will be out and about all day. Just pack your snacks, meals and water to take with you!

3. If possible, book a rental that at least has a fridge and microwave or even better, a kitchen and/or grill! Make a quick stop at the grocery store or local farmers market and pick up food (including plenty of fruit and vegetables) to have on hand for snacking, as well as for several meals. Just because you are on vacation, doesn't mean you have to go out for every meal. Try to eat most of your breakfasts and lunches at your rental and plan a few fun dinners to cook as well. That way, you know you have healthy options for a majority of your meals, and you can thoroughly enjoy going out for the other ones.

4. Enjoy your favorite treats and meals (in moderation)! It is always fun to indulge in the local fare, just try to balance it out with the rest of the food you eat that day as well. Aim to stick with the 80/20 rule (80% of your meals/snacks are healthy and the other 20% are not). Each day might not balance out exactly, and that is ok, nobody is perfect. Focus on appropriate serving sizes if you are eating a little more indulgently than normal. Ask for half-sized portions, share entrees or take back leftovers.

5. Find local ways to make getting active fun! Take long walks on the beach, play sports, walk around museums, explore the city/country/beach/mountains/woods by walking, running, hiking, swimming, cycling, kayaking or just fit in quick 15-30 minute workouts a few days during the week in your room, in the hotel gym or a gym that is close by.

6. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This is YOUR vacation, make sure you really use it to your advantage so you can actually unwind, de-stress, recover and love every second of it! Sleep is so important and the more you get, the more you will feel in control the next day. Also use this time to read, do yoga, meditate or anything to help you relax. The more relaxed you are, the easier it will be to fall and stay asleep.

7. If you find yourself at the end of the week and you have been eating more processed food than normal and haven't worked out one day, forgive yourself and move on. This is your vacation and vacations are for relaxation and rejuvenation. One week will not ruin you. The big key here is to "move on". Once back home, start back into your routine right away, don't put it off or you can face a relapse which will make starting again even harder.

If you need help with meal ideas, or even finding healthier options on restaurant menus, please feel free to ask! If you need a little more motivation and education on getting and staying healthy, sign-up for Boost.

Happy vacation!

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