Additional tips, videos & articles

---

Do you know why breakfast is so important? Because you are breaking-the-fast, literally. If you skip waking your metabolism up in the morning, then you are more prone to over-eat and chose foods that are not giving your body the nutrients you need to see the changes you want. Delicious and easy-to-prep, these smoothies will allow you to prep as many as you need for the week, and have you excited to break your fast every morning! Add frozen Greek yogurt for protein and Chia seeds for omegas too! Go ahead, have fun with it. Mix up your ingredients by choosing different cruciferous vegetables and fruits to super charge your mornings.

Ingredient List & measurements:

In order to meet your pre-determined macro needs we listed the measurements of each ingredient used in the smoothie combinations created here. 

Ingredient Serving Size:

*All totals below are based on one serving size

Greek yogurt – ¾ cup or 6oz is one serving (*3 cubes equals 6 oz or ¾ cup)

(each cube is 2oz; ice cube tray size may vary)

Calories: 100

Protein: 17g

Carbs: 8g

Sugar: 6g

Banana – ½ cup sliced

Calories: 105

Protein: 1g

Carbs: 27g

Sugar: 14g

Mixed Berries – ½ cup

Calories: 35

Protein: 1g

Carbs:8g

Sugar: 5g

Cauliflower – ½ cup

Calories: 10

Protein: 1g

Carbs: 2g

Sugar: 2g

Smoothie Combinations:

This is where you get to be creative with your ingredient list and find your favorite flavor combinations! Don’t be afraid to mix a vegetable or two in for good carbs, also known as cruciferous vegetables. Adding more vegetables also means less fruit, keeping your smoothie low in sugar & it is an easy way to get a serving of veggies into your morning. You can also add Chia seeds, flax seeds or oats for additional nutrients or macro needs.

Add-ins:

There are many items that can be added to your smoothies but some easy and on-hand items are cinnamon, ginger, chia seeds, flax seeds, quinoa, substitute any liquid needed such as milk with your choice of milk substitute (lactose free, nut based or any other milk replacement), protein powder or even almond/cashew butter.

Smoothie Combination Ideas:

· Mixed berries and Cauliflower 

· Mixed berries, banana and sweet potato

· Spinach, cauliflower and green apple

· Sweet potato, turmeric, orange juice & ginger

· Peach, carrot and mango

· Blueberry, banana and cauliflower

· Pineapple, peach, banana and spinach

Make Ahead of Time

Repeat the above steps and vary your ingredients and you can pre-make multiple smoothies for breakfast or a healthier snack during your busy day and be confident in what you are consuming to meet your nutrition goals.

Instructions:

Step 1: Fill the ice cube tray with Greek yogurt and freeze for 2-4 hours and pop out and place in zip-lock bag for easier access

Step 2: measure out ½ cup of cauliflower florets

Step 3: Measure out ½ cup of mixed berries

Step 4: Slice half of a medium to large banana and set to the side

Step 5: Count out 3 frozen Greek yogurt cubes

Step 6: Combine all ingredients in Ninja or blender and blend until smooth 

*Step 7: Depending on how you like the consistency of your smoothie add water, milk or a milk substitute of your choice until desired consistency is reached

Proper water consumption is an important part of a complete nutritional approach to reaching your goals through fitness, but do you really know why water is so important for our bodies to function properly? We are water. Our bodies are comprised of 60% water to include various tissues, organs, & cells. That’s why drinking at least the recommended amount of water a day is vital for your overall health and wellbeing. Not to mention your recovery after workouts. Water composes 90% of our blood, and 60% of our brain tissues. It lubricates our joints & spinal column, cushions the brain, aides in digestion, prevents constipation, carries needed nutrients and oxygen to our cells, improves overall skin health. Water is a necessity for every facet of your body.

Consumption

There is no specific rule to follow when it comes to your daily intake needs for water. The general rule is half of your body weight in ounces. However, you need to take into consideration your activity level and current health status and make the needed adjustments to your water intake in order to avoid dehydration. Some of those factors are:

· Activity level – Training means you will need to drink more than the minimum amount of daily water if you have additional activity during your day

· Fever – Having a fever can cause you to become dehydrated and additional water is needed to cool your body’s temperature and rehydrate cells

· Climate – Depending on the region you live in, high temperatures cause excessive perspiration

· Sodium intake (salt) – Consuming high amounts of sodium will create bloating, then dehydration.

· Health Status - Those who suffer from pre-existing medical conditions could be prone to dehydration due to medications or physician lead treatments. 

Example: 180 lbs. Person/2 = 90 ounces

The Importance of Hitting your Macro’s:

To Get Bigger or Smaller

Eating the food you need to hit your macro’s is not easy. In fact, it can be down-right hard when you first begin a macro guided plan. However, it is crucial in hitting your goals no matter if your goal is to gain mass and size, or to lose weight. This may make sense to those wanting to grow, but almost every person I come in contact with has a real issue accepting this method for losing weight, until they follow through and begin to see results. Every person has their own homeostasis. Which means each person needs a certain number of macros to balance for their body. IF you don’t hit that balance, your body will think it’s in a starvation mode and start to hold everything it can to convert to fat (energy for the body). Even worse your muscles begin to enter the catabolic stage, basically wasting away because your body can’t feed them. Remember we need muscle, 1 pound of muscle burns 50 calories per day at rest. 

A day of Eating - (please remember this Macro plan is fitted to me and my body needs. Each client will get a personalized macro plan based on their goals and body)

Meal 1: Shake composed of Vega Sport Protein and Oatmeal at 0630 – 30g Protein, 33-35 Carbs, 8-12g Fat

Meal 2: Hash Browns and Eggs at 0800 – 26 g Protein, 56g Carbs, 18g Fat

Meal 3: Shake composed of Vega Sport Protein and Oatmeal at 0930 – 36g Protein, 31g of Carbs, 5g of Fat

Meal 4: Ahi Tuna Steak at 1130 – 40.5g of Protein, 0g Carbs, 1g Fat

Snack: (Added Calories) Strudel at 1430- 10.5g of Protein, 80.5g of Carbs, 24.5g of Fat

Meal 5: Taco’s + Shake – 62g of Protein, 71g of Carbs, 20g of Fat

Meal 6: (2) Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt + (2) Servings of Milk - 56g of Protein, 40g of Carbs, 9g of Fat

In total my day consisted of 265g of Protein, 315g of Carbs & 83g of Fat and it was rough no doubt, but your body needs the proper fuel and amount of fuel to propel you towards your fitness goals. Your best or worst steps are taken in the kitchen with what you put in your body.