The D14 Day One

Good morning!

Despite having a sinus/headache thing going on for the last week or so I am feeling pretty awesome this morning.

I'm starting a detox/jumpstart program called The D14 which is a 14 day program that helps get the body detoxified, proper digestion going and a general "tune up" of how your body was designed to metabolize food and generally function. 

Before you get skeptical of the word detox - stop! This program is designed not to be harsh or unpleasant and you eat FOOD. Yes, real nourishment for your body to flush the toxins out - which means a less bloated you! 

Since it is a detox, you do need to refrain from eating a few things. But, before I lose you again it's only 14 days.  the program was created by Courtney O'Donnell - she's a mother of five, a personal trainer and a director at the Juice Plus company.  All the details are provided to you when you commit to the program

I'm still following my Trim Healthy Mama principles alongside the D14 - I'm coming up on two years on that lifestyle, too!

So, here I go...if you're interested in the program feel free to email me directly at carlykirsch@gmail.com.

~Carly

Other Ways To Promote Health

Exercise more. Eat less processed foods. Get enough sleep. Drinking more water. Stay away from sugar. More vegetables and greens (which I have a secret to easily get more of!). Do this...don't do that...

The list goes on. And on...

So, aside from the obvious things what else can you do to promote health and overall wellness? Today, I'm going to share with you two things I do every day for me and my family.

1. Essential Oils

A few years ago I started using a few oils - lemon and lavender. I made a homemade lemon coconut oil body cream recipe. Then about two years ago I bought a diffuser (finally) with the intention of buying more oils but never did. It was just only recently (about two months ago) I decided to finally get more and dive into using them on a daily basis. After lots of research, I ordered quite a bit from Plant Therapy, one blend from DoTerra and some from a local health food store in town.

Here's my Plant Therapy order:

They have a line of kid safe oils and blends that I love so far. 

I now have two diffusers - one is a Zaq brand I got from an online store and the other is the one pictured above. I use the diffuser every day - especially now that it's getting colder and germs are everywhere! I diffuse energizing blends and calming blends based on my day and the germ destroyer kids blend is usually going in the afternoons. I am really enjoying them and seeing some definite benefits from using them so far. 

2. Juice Plus+

I only recently heard of Juice Plus. But from the moment it was mentioned to me I was hooked. It's SO simple and I'm actually shocked I hadn't heard of it before! I'm always reading and learning about health, wellness and nutrition and have never come across it. I actually learned about it initially from someone at my dentist's office because Juice Plus was studied and published in a medical journal (it's actually one of the only studied and researched of its kind!) that links the importance of nutrition to dental health - among other things.  I'm very inspired by this company and their mission for health for many decades now. 

Juice Plus Products - Complete, capsules, chews and bars

That's my little secret.  For a few weeks now, I have been taking their "trio" Vineyard blend, Garden and Fruit Blend and I just ordered their Complete shake mix.  It's gluten and dairy free and it is delicious!  I use it to promote health personally and my kids are taking the gummy version which I actually get for basically free through their Children's Health Study. 

They are a great company and I'm actually joining them on my own personal health mission to spread the goodness. If you want to learn more you can click on the Juice Plus links and it will take you to my web site to learn about the products as well as order. 

Ok...So what exactly is Juice Plus? It's FOOD.  Not a supplement!

Juice Plus+ is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 30 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Juice Plus+ helps bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day. Not a multivitamin, medicine, treatment or cure for any disease, Juice Plus+ is made from quality ingredients carefully monitored from farm to capsule to provide natural nutrients your body needs to be at its best.

It actually has a nutrition label!  No additives, non-GMO and just good nutrition to help keep us healthy every day in a truly simple way.

I'll be sharing with you more about Juice Plus in the coming weeks...so stay tuned!

Those are just two things I do to promote health other than the obvious advice we all hear over and over.

What are some things you do to promote health?

Feel free to email or comment with any questions...anytime!
~Carly
 

Motivate Me Monday - 5/5/2014

Happy Cinco de Mayo! 

I hope this post finds you well! 

Every day we are faced with choices. I've been focused on my daily choices and how they affect my personal health and wellness goals. So when I saw this image today on Pinterest, I knew it was meant to be to share it here. Because, also (ironically) I've also started up again doing Jillian Michael's DVDs again. 

Saturday I did a few circuits of No More Trouble Zones and on Sunday I did Level 1 of her 30 Day Shred. I also went for a 4+ mile walk with my friends. 

Feeling great and continuing to choose the right choices for my goals. I'm about 7-8 pounds from my goal weight now and for the first time in a few years I'm ready to welcome spring and summer without feeling overwhelmed by skirts, shorts, tanks, tees and even (gasp!)  bathing suits!

~Carly

Recipe: Veggie Bean-Quinoa Soup - THM E

Good morning!  After yet another snow day yesterday during this colder-than-normal winter here in Connecticut, I can help but continue to crave warm, hearty soups.

I didn't see this recipe made anywhere and I kind of just made it up on my own. It's definitely not genius or anything. 

But it is so good.  

There's nothing fancy in it and you can really add anything you have in the pantry or fridge that needs to be used up. Substitute or leave out ingredients based on your dietary needs or tastes.  For THM-ers this soup would be an E.

I call it Veggie Bean Quinoa Soup.  This recipe makes about 2-3 quarts of soup.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of purified water
1-2 box containers of veggie stock 

1 box Pomi diced tomatoes 

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of white beans (Canellini are my favorite but use whatever)

2-3 stalks celery chopped (I include the greens in the inside of the celery for more flavor)

1 carrot chopped 

1/2 of an onion chopped

1-2 green zucchini chopped

1-2 yellow squash chopped 

1/2 cup quinoa (cooked separately and add at end of soup cooking) 

Directions:
1. Rinse and chop all veggies.
2. Rinse and drain beans.
3. Pour cup of water, veggie stock, tomatoes and add all chopped ingredients and beans into a big stock pot.
4. In a separate smaller saucepan, cook quinoa according to the directions on your package. I use water to cook my quinoa but feel free to use any broth of flavoring you like.
5. Cook soup on medium-high heat until you achieve a rolling boil.  Turn down to low and simmer until veggies are tender - approximately 25-30 minutes.
6. Add cooked quinoa to rest of the soup.  Stir, add extra spices to taste and serve.

Veggie Bean Quinoa Soup.  Deelish.

This soup could not be easier.  Again, it makes quite a bit of soup so feel free to share with family, friends, neighbors or co-workers!  I gave a quart of soup to my neighbor the other day when her kids weren't feeling well and she raved about it.  

Let me know you like it if you try it and any variations you did!

~Carly

Drink it to shrink it - THM style!

Happy Monday!  It's a snowy day here in Connecticut.

I hope you had a nice Super Bowl Sunday and Groundhogs Day! Not a great day in history for the Denver Broncos or Punxatawney Phil, huh?

Anyways, I had a great day and some yummy snacks for Super Bowl that were THM friendly - of course! 

One thing I did want to share today are some really great beverages you can enjoy - even if you're not following this lifestyle.  One drink in particular I've really enjoyed is called The Shrinker - and I believe it's helping me shrink for sure! There are also two other drinks called Good Girl Moonshine and The Singing Canary.

The Shrinker is a yummy oolong tea based drink. All three of these drinks have amazing health benefits and also helps burn fat while squashing any cravings you have and hydrates you, too.

For the full scoop and recipes for The Shrinker, The Singing Canary and Good Girl Moonshine,  read here for a post from The THM Facebook page. 

Image from Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page

So far I have not yet tried The Singing Canary - but I do really like the Good Girl Moonshine or GGMS as it is called.  The Shrinker is definitely my favorite though!

The recipe for The Shrinker is as follows:

1.  Steep 4 bags of oolong tea until cooled

2.  Place tea in blender.

3.  Add stevia to taste, vanilla, 1/2 Cup almond milk, 1 TSP cinnamon and some sea or Celtic salt. 

4.  Blend it up, distribute in half into two quart sized jars.

5.  Pour into glass and serve over ice.

The original recipe calls for a dash of cayenne pepper or black pepper for a bigger metabolism and fat burning boost but I don't care for it so I go without.

You can drink this all day - but do take note the caffeine.  I usually drink this before 3 P.M. most days and it really kills any cravings I have and fills me up.  It tastes a little like chai or a latte and has approximately 30 calories but seems like it's much more creamy and more like a treat!

So, drink it to shrink it! Cheers!

~Carly

Where Does It Go When You Lose It?

Where does it go when you lose it?

Image from everyday Health web site slideshow

That's the question I've asked myself quite a few times.  What question? And what is the it I'm referring to?

When you lose it meaning FAT and weight - where the heck does it go?

I came across this slideshow article from everyday Health's web site on explaining where the fat goes when you lose it.

I'm also now on Day 7 of Cinch (again) and I'm still going strong!  Feeling great, lots of energy, feeling a bit smaller but I'm planning to do a full two weeks on the plan before taking measurements again.

So, stay tuned and have a great day!
~Carly