Team Beachbody Coach Summit 2018!

I'm feeling a massive mixture of sadness and excitement as I sit here writing this. There are a couple of tears being shed too.

Today I was supposed to be rolling into Indianapolis for the biggest event in my businesses calendar, Summit. I had my tickets ready, my hotel booked, I was booked into all of the workshop sessions and the super-trainer workouts. I was pumped to be a part of something I’d only ever dreamed about.
But recent events mean that I haven’t been able to get out there.
And I won’t lie, it’s really hard to swallow. I mean, I’ve only been planning this for about 3 years. No, really! For 3 years. And I won’t be there.

I have known that I wanted to be a coach for the longest time. Waaaaay before the company even made any murmurings about coming to the UK. I was using the products and I fell in love with them. They worked, they were different to anything out there and they fitted my busy life as a working mum perfectly. I loved the products so much so that I took it upon myself to connect into the North American coach network. What I encountered there was entirely unexpected and it completely blew me away.

I found a community of thousands of coaches who were changing people’s lives every single day. Helping them through the minefield of nutrition and exercise, giving people confidence and support to achieve things they never thought themselves capable of, helping people get healthier and lead more fulfilling lives.
Giving people HOPE.

These people were friendly, positive, supportive, uplifting, go-getting, action taking, sharing, helpful ——— and I was HOOKED.

From Day 1 I wanted to be a part of that community. I KNEW I WOULD be a part of that community. I felt the passion so deep inside me that I KNEW I would make it happen.

I kept myself in the loop, I networked and I made sure I’d be the first to know when the coaching opportunity was coming to the UK.

I spent all of my spare time researching the company. I researched and I researched. What their mission was, why they were doing it, how they were doing it. Was it legit, was it a pyramid scheme, were these weight-loss results real?
I learned about all of the products, the coaching process, how coaches were rewarded for helping people.
I learnt everything I could over the course of a couple of years. I watched the recordings of the annual Summit gathering and I got excited.
This was the real deal.

I spent my spare time following coaches on social media, deciding which individuals and teams I felt most connected to, whose mission resonated most strongly with me, who had the training and systems in place that I liked best, whose approach and personality I clicked with, who I wanted to partner with in my business when the time finally came when I could become a Coach.

I started running week-long online nutrition and exercise groups - reaching out to support people who needed help.

I was ready.

When it was finally announced in March 2017 that the coaching opportunity would be coming to the UK later that year I was more than ready.
I had chosen the team I was going to join. I’d met them in person when they came over to Birmingham that summer and had cemented the fact.
I KNEW this was what I was meant to do.

On the day the coaching opportunity went live in October 2017 I was waiting. I sat at my laptop counting down the minutes and then, as the clock ticked over and we went live, I became a Coach.
I was almost bursting with an emotional mixture of excitement and pride as one of the UK Founding Coaches for the company, after all this time waiting.

Now I could get to help people reach their weight-loss, health and fitness goals officially, using ground-breaking products, backed by a company I wholeheartedly believed in and a hand-picked team of women who set my soul alight.
Now I could make a difference. Even if it was just to one person, I would be making a difference.

Our annual Coach Summit is a humungous event. Kind of like a conference, girls trip, family reunion, personal development retreat, business and leadership training event, the Academy Awards, and the Olympics all rolled into one!
World stage speakers and best-selling authors such as Brendon Burchard, Gary Vaynerchuk, Simon Sinek, Darren Hardy sharing their insights,
Top coaches sharing how they change lives every day,
Super-trainer workouts - Shaun T, Chalene Johnson, Autumn Calabrese, Tony Horton and more,
New product announcements,
Recognition and celebration.

I was going to be there in the whirlwind of it all, where my heart and soul would be blown wide open with the energy, emotion, knowledge, and sheer joy of spending time with some of my new favourite people, immersed in learning and sharing and living what we're most passionate about - growing and learning and helping other people.

Last year I watched Summit from my laptop. The events were streamed live from New Orleans and I sat up into the night and watched the opening and closing ceremonies in real time. I heard the announcements, saw the new products, celebrated my team becoming the top team in the company for the 3rd year in a row, cried as I heard the stories of the Beachbody Challenge finalists and felt inspired by what they had achieved.

This year I will do the same.
My company are world-class at hosting these events. It's going to be immense.
My timeline is blowing up with pictures as all the coaches are arriving in Indy. The welcome banners at the airport, the stages being built for the ceremonies, the smiling, excited selfies.
I will be there in spirit and I will watch with pleasure as my new friends and teammates experience this crazy event. I will celebrate right alongside them as my team becomes the top team for the 4th year in a row and I will be full of pride for what this company achieves.
We make a difference every single day - We Save Lives.

#endthetrend of obesity

Next year, you guys, I WILL be there. Wild horses won’t be able to keep me away.
Maybe you’ll come too and we can experience it for the first time together. I can’t think of anything I would love more than to be able to share it with you.

XOXO

Avocado Courgette Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

I just HAD to share this recipe with you guys. It's just one of the delicious recipes from my Nutritional Mindset Makeover program and it was a total hit with me and my husband!

I always felt that courgettes were a bit of a funny texture and didn't taste of anything. Well, I can tell you that this recipe totally blew that notion away!

Wanna know what the feedback from the hubster was?

"FU@K*NG LOVELY!!!"
He even said he'd order it in a restaurant!

We're onto a winner here you guys....

In the words of Roger... "COURGETTE MOREGETTE!"
Check out the recipe below. It's a great way to get more veggies into your day!

Avocado Courgette Alfredo with Grilled Chicken (Serves 2)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 medium ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yoghurt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (divided use)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (divided use)

1/4 tsp onion powder (or onion granules)
4 medium courgettes, spiralised (or cut into thin strips using a vegetable peeler)

2 chicken breasts, butterflied

Seasoning for chicken (as preferred - I use combinations of onion granules, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika - whatever I fancy that day!)

2 tsp grated parmesan
Oil spray


DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine avocado, yoghurt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder/granules in a medium bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
2. Spay chicken with a small about of oil and sprinkle over your favourite seasonings to taste. Rub the seasoning and oil onto the chicken to coat the surface.
3. Heat a large non-stick griddle or frying pan, over a medium/high heat.
4. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a plate and loosely cover with foil. Allow to rest.
6. Add courgette to pan and cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
7. Add avocado mixture. Cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes until mixture is heated through.
8. Divide courgette mixture evenly between two plates. Top with the grilled chicken and some parmesan.
9. Serve immediately and enjoy!

New BEACHBARS - Coming THIS WEEK!

I would love to tell you that as a lifestyle coach I’m always ready to rock with all my meals prepped, thefridge and cupboards stocked and healthy options portioned out perfectly right at my finger tips.

But the reality is…. *whispers*..... that I’m just not that organised. When I’m not busy helping my challengers, growing my business, supporting the hubs with his business, being a mum and wife, watching Netflix, I’m supposed to be doing my share of washing clothes and cleaning the house. There’s always something else going on. I KNOW you know the feeling! Especially all you busy mummas out there.

I’ve often relied heavily on snack bars that I have stashed in my handbag, in the glove compartment of my car or in my desk drawer for those moments when HANGRY attacks and I need a solution FAST. And that is why I am BEYOND thrilled for a new bar to hit the market – our very own BEACHBARS!

Who would these bars be PERFECT for?

- Current clients and customers who are on a health and fitness journey towards becoming the best version of themselves:

• It fits into existing meal plans I share in my bootcamp groups and works as a complement to our daily superfoods with a 1/2 YELLOW, 1/2 RED, and one SPOON container equivalent.

- Busy? On the go? Prone to snacking? 

• 7 in 10 adults snack 2x per day, but snacking on the wrong foods can work against your health and wellness goals.
• With 10g of protein and just 5–6g of sugar per 150 calories, BEACHBAR gives you more protein-dense calories than the average retail snack bar.

- Trying to reduce that sugar intake?

• Many shop-bought bars are made with high levels of sugar and carbohydrates.
• BEACHBAR is a good source of protein and fibre without the extra sugar.
• It’s the responsible sweet treat/indulgence for people who care about what they’re putting into their bodies.

- People who want to boost their protein intake:

• It’s a good source of protein with 10g in each BEACHBAR. 

Protein-Dense Calories:

This crunchy, chewy snack bar has 10g of protein, 4g of fibre, just 150 calories, and only 5–6g of sugar. Calorie for calorie, BEACHBARs have a higher proportion of satisfying protein per calorie compared to four other leading snack bars.

Exceptional Protein-to-Sugar Ratio:

Both flavours of BEACHBAR are made with whey protein crisps, versus some other leading brands which are made with a fruit base. This means BEACHBAR delivers more satisfying, muscle-promoting protein (10g) than actual sugar (5–6g) per bar.

Indulgent Ingredients for Great Taste:

Research shows taste is the #1 decision-making factor in choosing a bar and BEACHBAR totally delivers! Packed with nut pieces and nut butters, crunchy protein crisps, dried fruit, and real chocolate chips, BEACHBAR will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Flavours:

It comes in two delicious flavours, Peanut Butter Chocolate and Chocolate Cherry Almond.

Not All the Bad Stuff: 

Both flavours are gluten-free, have 0g trans fats, and no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.

If you want the indulgence of a bar packed with nut pieces, nut butters, real chocolate chips, and 10g of protein with just 150 calories, your choice is BEACHBAR!!!

BEACHBAR combines crunchy protein crisps with whole foods including fruit and nut pieces, real 

chocolate chips, and creamy nut butters to deliver delicious, satisfying goodness in every tasty bite.

• Peanut and Almond Nut Butters - A source of protein and fibre that adds a creamy texture. No one likes a dry, crumbly bar…
• Dried Cherries - A flavourful source of beneficial dietary fibre and phytonutrients. Plus, they taste great!
• Whey and Pea Protein Crisps - Whey protein delivers all nine of the essential amino acids. Pea protein is a plant-based protein source that also supplies key amino acids. And they’re satisfyingly crunchy!

• Calorie for calorie, BEACHBAR has a higher proportion of satisfying protein and fibre per calorie and a lower proportion of sugar per calorie than four other leading snack bars.

• What does this mean? It means that YOU are getting a delicious, satisfying snack bar with less sugar (5–6g) than protein (10g) per bar and 4g of fibre.

• The chart below reflects the grams of protein, sugar, and fibre per 150-calorie portion of BEACHBAR and four competitive bars.

BEACHBAR is Low-Glycaemic. The Glycaemic Index (GI) measures the effect of a food on blood glucose. Low-GI foods release their carbohydrates slowly, causing a lower blood glucose response.

This helps avoid a large spike in blood sugar and the “crash,” or dip, in blood glucose that often follows and may cause you to feel sluggish. If this weren’t benefit enough, low-GI products may also help with staying fuller for longer.

That’s why we designed BEACHBAR to be Low-Glycaemic. In fact, BEACHBAR actually has less sugar than it has protein.

Protein:

• 10g of protein from whey crisps and pea protein

• Good source of protein

• An exceptional protein-to-calorie ratio at 10g / 150 calories

• Protein makes up over 25% of the calories in the bar

Sugar:

• Just 5–6g of sugar per bar

• More protein (10g) than sugar (6g)

Fibre:

• 4g of fibre

• Good source of fibre

Calories:

• 150 calories

 

• Nut pieces (almonds, peanuts)
• Real chocolate chips
• Dried cherry chunks
• Pomegranate juice
• Nut butters, including peanut and almond butter
• Whey protein crisps
• Pea protein crisps

• No artificial colours

• No artificial flavours

• No preservatives 

• Gluten-free

• 0g trans fats

If you’re a bar eating, busy woman and would like to check these out – let’s chat!

These bars are JUST ABOUT TO BE RELEASED and I am collecting information NOW so YOU can be the first to snag these up when they release on April 6th!
Email me here to get on the list!

12 Ways to Better Eating - A Mental Approach

It seems like everywhere we turn people are trying to eat better. Trying to lose some extra pounds they gained on their holiday, trying to slim down before they jet off somewhere sunny. 

But eating better can be hard and many people get frustrated, feel like they're failing and give up.

Here are some key ways to help you stick to your better eating plans.

1. SET GOALS

It starts by having clear and realistic goals. 

Write a list of things you want to change about your diet. Also think about goals that you may have regarding your body and use those to plan your diet around them. I recommend setting present goals, short term, and long term goals (so say in a week, in a month, in 3 months). 

If you try and do everything all at once you can be overwhelmed and want to quit. Take it one goal at a time if need be, and one day at a time. This isn’t a race. 

I also recommend writing reasons WHY you want to make a change in your eating habits. You might feel able to share your goals with others who will help you meet them. You can put your goals where others can see them like on the fridge, or somewhere at work to motivate you to work harder. 

This will also get others behind you and involved in your new routine.

As you achieve your goals, tick them off! This will give you a sense of accomplishment and add excitement leading to your next goal.

2. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Any diet plan needs to work with you and not against you. 

You need to be realistic when setting up the parameters of your new diet. Your plan needs to work for you and your situation. It needs to fit your schedule and your budget. If you don’t follow your budget, your cooking costs will get too high and you will have to pull out from the diet you set up. If you don’t cook for your schedule and your eating times you will find yourself without food and scrambling around to find a healthy choice. 

So be realistic with time, and give yourself extra time to prepare food, or have food pre-packed. Also know that obstacles can and will come into your path from time to time to derail you and your progress, so don’t think that everything will be easy and will just happen. This takes work.

3. BE PROACTIVE

Make a list of healthy foods you enjoy, and what foods you can take with you to work, in the car, school, etc. You can create entire menus revolving around where you will be at what time of the day. Never give yourself an excuse to not have something available for you to eat, no matter where you are when you are supposed to have a meal. Always keep healthy foods on hand. If you don’t you will probably eat whatever is available at the time whether it be fast food, office treats, etc. This can throw off a diet plan and get you in the habit of making bad food choices and eat whatever is fast and convenient. Know where you will be at what time of the day, when you are open to cook, to eat, to shop for groceries, and plan accordingly. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

4. CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Most people respond well to consistency. Make a plan and stick to it. Try to eat at around the same times every day and keep to the same portion size and caloric intake. Your body will recognize this pattern and in turn keep your metabolism burning and your energy levels will stay high. You will feel better, and get in a healthy routine. It is easy to sabotage yourself by grabbing crappy snacks to meet uncontrolled cravings. The time you spend on planning and consistency is a true investment that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

5. BE FLEXIBLE

Of course, even the best plans fall short at times. Life can sometimes get the best of all of us. Sometimes your eating routines need to change. Where you can, try to plan ahead for these events and have items on hand you can take with you when you’re in a rush or are eating out. Examples are bag of raw unsalted almonds, whole food bars, shakes, fresh fruit. 

Also educate yourself on nutrition through the internet, books, and magazines. You can use this knowledge to help you improvise and find foods that are compatible with your diet. For example, if you are out with friends or stuck with no time to cook. Find items that are less time consuming that you can take with you in a pinch.

6. DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF

Nobody is perfect all the time. If you mess up, miss a few meals, or even have a bad couple of days, just pick yourself up and get back on track!

You’re doing this for you, and the added stress of not living up to your own expectations can lead to a total diet derailment. Being healthy and eating healthily does not mean you can’t enjoy foods that aren't on your meal plan. So don’t be so hard on yourself. YOU CAN DO IT!


7. STICK WITH YOUR PLAN

It takes time to develop healthy behaviours. After about a month of eating better consistently, you will have developed a habit. You will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes more effortless and be a normal part of your day to day life.

8. HAVE FUN!

Eating right takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t stress yourself out over small bumps in the road. You have the power to change any negative into a positive, and you have the choice to have a positive outlook regarding any situation you find yourself in. Find fun ways to keep yourself motivated. Get friends and family involved. Set challenges at home, with friends, or at work to start eating healthier. Take the time to cook and try new and interesting recipes. You are making a change for the better, so why not make it enjoyable?!

9. GIVE YOURSELF PRAISE

You are not a dog so don’t reward yourself with treats. RealiSe that changing your eating habits can be a daunting task for anyone. Just think how long you have had your current habits and know that changing those habits will not happen overnight, but with time. 

Congratulate yourself on any healthy changes you make, because you deserve the praise! Praise builds confidence and makes you feel good about the healthy choices you are making, and in turn will help keep you on your path to betterment.

10. DON'T RUSH INTO THIS

People always start with the best of intentions and will try and do everything at once. They get overwhelmed and quit before they really even started. Small changes add up and can make a huge difference. Work on one thing at a time and keep adding to it. Before you know it you will have many healthy habits that incorporate together to make a healthy lifestyle and a healthier and happier you.

11. FOCUS ON THE JOURNEY AND NOT THE DESTINATION

To live a healthy lifestyle is never easy. In order to enjoy this lifestyle with all it's ups and downs, we must enjoy the process and the journey on the way to our destination. Once we hit our destination we immediately look to the next mountain top and we either want more, or worst case scenario we think that we have accomplished all we need to and we relax on all of the things that got us there in the first place. Take pride in small victories along the way. They add up.


12. MEASURE SUCCESS AND SET NEW GOALS

Making successful changes means measuring your progress towards your goals and recognising your accomplishments. As you meet short-term goals, you can plan the next steps with more confidence. Constantly re-strategising your goals takes long-term visualisation. That long-term vision needs to be broken down into do-able steps.

Now go out and make a difference in your life today!! 

 Did you enjoy this article? Would you like to receive more support from me on a daily basis?! Ask me about my next challenge group! Together we can set goals and achieve them!!

Pre-Planning Healthy Snacks

We all struggle with finding the time to pack our healthy snacks everyday especially when you are a busy mum or have a full time job. Well you don’t have to resort to vending machines and the local bakery or sweet shop. There is a way to stay on track and eat healthy while on the go. It just takes a little planning. I’ve outlined some healthy snacks and have created a video for you so that you can see exactly how I prep my weeks. I spend a few hours each week baking chicken breasts for wraps and salads, cutting up fruits and veggies and portioning it into containers or food bags, along with nuts and houmous to make a complete snack. The key to sustaining your energy and blood sugar all day long is to pair healthy complex carbs (fruits and veggies) with a protein (nuts, houmous, cottage cheese) at each meal. This prevents the crash in blood sugar which can lead to bingeing!

I always sit down with my dry-wipe board and plan out all my meals for my family and then use that list to go food shopping. I’ll then spend a couple of hours preparing my snacks and getting organised for the week.

I love to browse the web for clean eating ideas, I find a lot of my recipes this way. Some of my favourite websites for recipes are the Gracious Pantry and Eat Yourself Skinny.

I have included a list of some healthy snack ideas for you to use!

1. 20 grapes and 1 low fat string cheese.
2. 2 cupped handfuls of strawberries and 10 raw unsalted cashews
3. Handful of cut up carrots and cucumber and 1 tbsp low fat houmous.
4. 2 whole wheat rice cakes (no salt added) with 1 tbsp all natural peanut butter (look at the label, it should say dry roasted peanuts only) and 1 tbsp raisins on top
5. 1 cup (285g or 16tbsp) plain greek yogurt, 1 orange cut up with 1 tbsp almonds. If it’s too tart for you add a tiny bit of honey or agave nectar.
6. 1/2 cup (100g) cottage cheese and a handful of fresh berries.
7. 1 small banana with 1 tbsp all natural nut butter
8. 1 apple with 1 tbsp nut butter or a small handful of raw unsalted almonds.

If you ever need help with meal planning please email me and I’d love to work with you to come up with some healthy alternatives! This is my passion and I love helping other people!

You can do this, you can change your life and feel amazing!

Planning for Success

Success doesn't just happen, you have to plan for it!

This holds especially true for my nutrition. When I need to stay on top of a healthy eating lifestyle and I'm cooking for my family I really couldn't do it without planning.

Every week without fail I sit down and set out my game plan for the entire week.
I decide on what dinners we'll be eating as a family for the week ahead and list them out. While I'm doing this I take into account anything that's going on during the week and make sure I plan suitable meals. For example, if I know we're going to be home late one evening because of football practice I make sure to plan in a quick and easy meal for that evening, or I plan in something that I can prepare up front to save time to ensure we don't end up eating too late.

Then I use this plan to write out my full shopping list. I nearly always order my food online, either for delivery, or for me to pick up. I absolutely cannot stand food shopping so this is the best way for me. It means I can manage it without it being a massive aggravation. I also get that time back to do other, more exciting stuff! Things like this...

Once I've got the shopping back home I check all of the use before dates and double check that these fit in with the meal plan. I usually have to make a few tweaks here and there so that we'll eat everything before its expiry date, and I freeze meat at this point if I need to, noting down which day I'll need to get it out of the freezer to thaw.

The key is to look out for and anticipate any potential obstacles and be sure to plan around them so they don't throw you off track.

Once the weekly meal plan is set I write it down so it's visual and available to me and I can refer to it every day. Sometimes it'll just be on a bit of paper that annoyingly hangs around on the kitchen worktop all week, other times it's a bit more formal, like this.....

Then, I STICK TO IT!!!!
Simple as that.
Healthy week of eating in the bag. Repeat for next week :)