 I am super excited to announce that I have teamed up with Prepear to make 2019 the best year ever...for you! The new year is a time to start fresh. So many of us are hoping to get organized and eat better in 2019 and meal planning is a concrete, realistic way to tackle your goals. Doing it by yourself might seem daunting, but you don't have to do it alone! I'll provide the recipes for you, so you can focus on getting the food on the table. If you want to be able to take charge of meal planning in an EASY way, look no further. I have entered my recipes into the app so you can create your own customized meal plan with any of my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas. Feel good knowing that by using any of my recipes, you are eating healthy, delicious meals within an appropriate calorie range. Even further customize your experience by changing the servings amount to send the exact ingredients needed into your grocery list AND keep track of your pantry ingredients so you don't buy items you already have! What's the offer?
Get ready to:
I had been looking for months at different apps that would do exactly as I wanted them to do for my clients. I started thinking I wasn't going to find anything and would have to hire someone to create one for me until I found Prepear. Once I met with them and we discussed my needs and what they had to offer, I knew it was the perfect fit! The app is easy to use, it's a great place to store my recipes, it shows nutrition information, it provides an automatic grocery list based off your meal plan, the grocery list is easy to follow while shopping at the store, the app stays awake while cooking and provides an easier way to follow the directions as you go, you can upload your own pictures and make notes of the recipes and eventually it will be able to send your grocery list over to the grocery store for you so you don't even have to do the shopping yourself! Get started HERE! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here. 
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I had been wanting to make stuffed vegan, gluten-free shells for a long time now but I could never find gluten-free shells in stores and I didn't want to order them online. As I was looking for a replacement, I found gluten-free brown rice manicotti pasta tubes and decided to use them instead and I am so glad I did! I made these to bring dinner over to our friends who just had a baby. Everyone loved it and didn't know it was gluten-free or vegan! This could also be made with dairy or meat if you wanted, of course. I want to make this again but maybe with some Italian sausage or prosciutto! These look fancy (well - my pictures could use a little work, I recommend saving a little sauce to pour over the top at the very end) and are impressive yet so easy to make! I can't wait for you to try them!  Servings: 6
Prep/Total Time: 60 minutes Ingredients:
Directions:
 Maybe you had every intention to eat healthy, exercise and reduce stress during the holidays but it just seemed to get away from you. That's okay! It happens. Do the best that you can right now. Small steps do lead to big changes. There are still two weeks left of the year. Use them wisely.
If you feel like you just can't commit to anything right now until the holidays are over, I understand that too. The start of a new year always seems to bring about an opportunity to wipe the proverbial slate clean and start again. Although, a New Year's resolution should not lead to deprivation, restriction, diets, hardcore workouts, extreme exercise every day or the idea of making perfect, healthy choices every day. These unrealistic expectations are the reasons why most people don't stick with their resolutions past January. You also don't even need to make a "resolution". Instead, why don't you just decide to start making small changes that can lead to a huge impact on your life, wellbeing and body? Instead of a major, overwhelming overhaul, these small, attainable steps can lead you to a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. Some ideas are to start incorporating small acts of kindness for others once a month, practicing gratitude at the end of each week, taking time to yourself each day for your mental health, try new fruits and vegetables during the week, walk around the block, etc. Whatever it is that you want to work on, decide on one long term-goal and set several short-term goals with achievable, realistic steps to help you get there. Remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Do you have trouble making goals? Whatever your goal may be, even if it isn't specifically health related, please contact me so that I can help you! If you do want to start eating healthier and exercising yet you aren't quite sure where to start, join my new Fresh Start menu planning and exercise program! You will receive 4 weeks of menu plans and two workouts (one with weights and one without). You also will gain access to ask me any questions and have me help you along with this new journey. If you want to learn the basics of how to start living a healthy lifestyle on your own - behavior change information, how to meal plan, what foods you should eat more of, restaurant cheat sheets, a sample workout routine and more, then join Boost! If you are just looking for a quick reset after the holidays, join 7 Day Slim Down for a week's worth of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) all planned out for you with a corresponding grocery list and workout guide. Get ready to lose that holiday bloat, look good and feel great, all without feeling deprived, starved, or restricted! Plus you get a bonus treat each day! If you are more interested in working one-on-one with me for some health coaching, customized menu planning, workout guides, grocery list creation and ordering, grocery store tours, fridge and pantry clean outs, cooking lessons, cooking demos or more, please contact me today!  We are now smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. It might have shown up a lot faster than expected and you might not be feeling that prepared. Don't put yourself on the back burner and keep your life on hold until January 1. Start taking care of yourself now!
Your social schedule might be looking pretty busy right now and you could be thinking that it is just all too much. The good thing is, you can stay (or get) healthy right now and not take up much time at all! With these tips below, you can feel your best, enjoy your holiday events AND stay healthy this season, 1. Find your "Why". Think about why you want to be healthy and what exactly that means to you. Find your driving force. If you remind yourself of your "why" you are more likely to stay on track and less likely to overindulge, skip workouts, skimp on sleep, etc. 2. Bring your own food. If you are going to a party and aren't sure if there will be healthy options there, bring some of your own! Maybe you will even convince others to start eating healthier when they see how tasty it can be! 3. Don't skip meals. Skipping meals usually backfires. Eat your normal, healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. This will help you to remain in control and eat an appropriate amount of food instead of starving and eating everything in sight. 4. Aim to fill up on vegetables, fruits and lean protein. This will help prevent cravings and will crowd out other less healthy food options since you will be too satisfied to eat anything else after (or at least you won't be able to eat THAT much dessert)! 5. Limit alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic drinks are empty calories and can lead to making bad choices - with food and other areas of life. Now, I'm not saying you can't drink, but on those special occasions when you do, choose lower calorie options and have at least one glass of water in between every drink. 6. Be mindful. Try to stay in the moment when chatting with friends and family, eating, working, getting ready for bed, or exercising. When focusing your attention on what you are doing you can accomplish that activity better, regulate your emotions and decrease stress, anxiety and depression. By living in each moment you can really appreciate life and lower your stress levels. Start practicing mindfulness by meditating first thing in the morning or right before bed every day when it is quiet. 7. Workout when you can. A few minutes here and a few minutes there can really add up! Do what you can when you can. Try to pencil in a workout each day and make it a priority. If that doesn't seem possible right now, just do your best! Go on a walk at lunch, park far anyway anywhere you go (if it's safe to do so), take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator, stand at your desk instead of sit, etc.! 8. Don't fall into the spending trap. If you don't have a lot of money or just don't want to spend it on decorations, parties or gifts, talk with your friends and family and arrange a white elephant exchange, secret Santa, opt out of gifts altogether or come up with alternative solutions. Don't put more pressure and stress on yourself and your family by overspending and getting into debt because of the holidays. 9. Predict. Plan. Prepare. Think about what your week will look like and then what each day will look like. Plan your food, workouts and sleep schedule so you know what you have time for. If you can't plan that much in advance, at least know where your next meal will be (at home/office/restaurant/etc.) and decide ahead of time what food choice you will make/order. 10. Forgive yourself! Nobody is perfect and nobody expects you to be. If you slip up, eat too much, don't workout, skimp on sleep, etc., just forgive yourself and move on! Do the best you can with your time and resources and expect to not be perfect! It is just a bump in the road that doesn't need to throw you off course. Pick yourself back up and get right back on track as soon as possible. You are doing good, don't talk negatively to yourself to make yourself think otherwise! Do you need someone to help you along the way? With my Fresh Start program you will receive 4 weeks of menu plans and 2 workout guides! You will get full access to talk with me and ask me any questions! I can also help you with one-on-one coaching if that fits into your life better! Also, if you download the free Prepear app, you can also easily have all the recipes in one app and order your groceries through Walmart! Don't wait until January 1, take charge of your health through these next few crazy weeks! |
About MeI am a food loving, activity seeking health coach who resides in Franklin, TN with my husband and two sweet dogs (Lola & Penny). AllergiesI believe everyone should eat balanced and not cut food groups if you don't medically need to. All foods can fit in a healthy diet. Unfortunately, I have to avoid gluten and also limit myself with dairy, so my goal is to provide healthy, gluten-free/dairy-free recipes so EVERYONE can enjoy all foods, even if you do have to cut out certain food groups. My recipes are encouraged for everyone to eat, not just for those with sensitivities/allergies! Most of my recipes can be easily converted by using real dairy and whole-wheat in place of my allergy-free substitutes. SearchLooking for something specific? Everything can be found by category under the "Life" and "Recipes" sections on my website or you can search below. Archives
October 2021
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Elena McCown, LLC Health Coach in Franklin, TN