What Everyone is Saying About These 3 Bikini Body Breakfast Recipes

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Include these three recipes as part of your daily diet to help you slim down, tone up and fuel your workouts! These three breakfast recipes are wholesome and healthful and will help you get on track and stay on track with your health & fitness goals, whatever they may be, and are in line with our “Fit & Toned Bikini Body 28 Day Challenge“.
Remember, it isn’t always about losing weight or getting skinny ladies! When it all comes down to it, it’s about feeling good, on the inside & out. Start listening to your body, and after you eat a meal, become aware of how that meal affects your mood, energy level & digestive system. If your energy dips and you feel agitated or your stomach feels funky after a meal, make a note of what you ate and start becoming mindful of what “works and doesn’t work” for you.

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Everyone reacts differently to food and also different food combinations, so start listening to what your body is telling you. Remember, if your body is in a toxic state from ‘pollutants’ and/or processed foods, or if your bodily systems are functioning at a lowered state because you are eating things that your body has a negative response to, then your body will have a difficult time achieving your health & fitness goals. Eat clean, and train dirty is the best motto to go by!

#1. Cinnamon Toast Pancakes: (Gluten & Grain Free)

Whip up the pancake batter below and cook away! These pancakes are nutrient packed, gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, sugar-free, grain-free and a perfect post or pre-workout snack! Measurements may vary according to your taste and preference, so have fun with it and tweak the recipe as you like!

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Pancake Batter: Prep time is 10 minutes and recipe yields 1 pancake = 1 serving.

    • 1/4 cup Almond Flour
    • 1 tbsp of Ground Flax Meal
    • 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1-2 shakes of sea salt
    • 1 Whole Organic, Free-range Large Egg
    • 1/2 teaspoon of Organic, Alcohol-free Vanilla or Maple extract
    • 4 scooper-fulls of 100% Pure Organic Stevia Extract powder

First, mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Then whisk 1 egg, Vanilla or Maple extract, and melted coconut oil together and add to dry mixture in bowl. Slowly add unsweetened/unflavored coconut milk (unsweetened/unflavored almond milk or water are optional substitutes) until the pancake mixture becomes a thick pancake batter consistency (should be around 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup of coconut milk or liquid you used in place of coconut  milk). Mix well, spray your frying pan with cooking spray (preferably coconut oil spray or canola oil spray) and pour the pancake batter mixture into your frying pan. Cook until you see tiny bubbles starting to pop through on top of the pancake. Now flip the pancake and cook other side until the bottom of the pancake is browned (or cook to your preference). Plate and serve!

*Optional: Spread coconut oil on top after pancake is plated and shake cinnamon on top, add sliced 1/2 medium banana or 1/4 cup fresh cut strawberries or blueberries.

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#2.Almond Joy Breakfast (or Energy) Bars:

These raw, no-bake breakfast bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, sugar-free, and a great energy boost for any time of day! Make these on a Sunday and store them in your fridge to have as a quick snack when you’re in a rush and on the go! Measurements may vary according to your taste and preference, so have fun with it and tweak the recipe as you like!

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Breakfast Bar Mix: Prep time is 20 minutes and recipe yields 12-16 servings/breakfast bars.

  • 1/4 cup Dry Organic Oatmeal *optional (I use Gluten & Wheat-free whole oats)
  • 1-2 tbsp Chia seeds
  • 1 cup Raw Almonds
  • 1 cup Raw Cashews
  • 1/2 cup Raw Pumpkin seeds (slightly browned in dry frying pan)
  • 1/4 cup Raw Sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp Raw Cacao powder
  • 2 chopped & pitted Organic Dates
  • 1 tbsp of Organic, Alcohol-free Vanilla extract
  • 4 scooper-fulls of 100% Pure Organic Stevia Extract powder
  • 1 teaspoon – 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Filtered water

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First, mix all dry ingredients in a bowl (don’t add dates yet). Pour half of dry mixture into your food processor or your high-speed/high-quality blender (I use a Blendtec Blender). Pulse your blender or food processor 8-12 times to moderately chop up the nuts. Then add remaining portion of your dry mixture, as well as, the vanilla extract, dates and 2 tablespoons of filtered water. Slowly pulse the mixture in your food processor or blender until it begins to stick and hold together, adding water as needed (similar to making pizza dough). Once your mixture begins to stick together, scoop out the mixture onto a plate or 8″x8″ baking pan lined with saran wrap. Pull sides of saran wrap up and over mixture so it is covered and use the saran wrap to start to mold your breakfast bar mixture into a square that is 1-2″ thick and about 6-8″ x 6-8″. Cut into squares and throw in the refrigerator to let cool for at least an hour before eating so that your breakfast bar squares hold together! Voila, your breakfast bars are ready to eat!

*Optional: Spread organic shredded coconut on top of breakfast bars before popping them in the refrigerator.

#3. Bacon & Eggs Frittata:

Egg and bacon frittata

This bacon & egg frittata feels and tastes like a cheat meal! It is so tasty and is jam packed with lean protein sources to help you repair and recover from your daily workouts!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8-10″ oven-safe pie pan with cooking spray.

Frittata Mixture: Prep time is 15 minutes and recipe yields 2-4 servings.

  • 1/4 cup Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk
  • 4 Organic, free-range large eggs
  • 2 cups Kale
  • 1/4 cup Scallions
  • 2 medium roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 large bell pepper, diced
  • 6 strips organic turkey bacon
  • 1-2 shakes of sea salt
  • 1-2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons oregano

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First, throw the bell pepper, kale & scallions in a frying pan (coated w/cooking spray) and brown up. Add in diced tomatoes to this mixture. Turn off heat. Cook up bacon in a frying pan. Remove bacon and chop up. Add bacon & vegetables to your round oven-safe pie pan. Whisk eggs and coconut milk together in a bowl. Pour in egg mixture evenly over your vegetable & bacon mixture in the round oven-safe pie pan. Make sure egg mixture evenly covers and spreads throughout the pie pan. Top with salt, oregano & pepper and place on middle rack of your oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until top is browned. Remove from oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then cut into 4-6 wedges (like a pizza). Plate and serve!

*Optional: If you need some extra calories or energy, serve a slice of this bacon & egg frittata with a tablespoon of almond butter iced on top of it!

That’s all you need to do today. Pretty simple, right?

Tushy Toner & Strawberry Orange Mint Cream Smoothie

I tested out a recipe last night, there are some tweaks that I’ll have to make but it is actually a perfect light energy snack to have on hand during this heat wave we are experiencing here in Baltimore. It’s called socca bread and is made from chickpea flour/water/salt and what ever flavoring (sweet or savory) that you add to it is up to you. Chickpea flour is just finely ground up chickpeas (that have been soaked/sprouted/or not soaked/sprouted, this is your preference and I’ll be experimenting with the two options). So I had a ton of leftover cooked chickpea that I didn’t want to go to waste, so I used them. The original recipe for socca bread does not involve cooked chickpea, it is chickpea flour. But I figured, what the hey!
Socca Bread: My ‘Test’ which will need adjustment

  1. 1.5-2C Cooked Chickpeas
  2. 1-2 tsp salt
  3. 1-2 TBSP Agave
  4. 1-2 tsp lemon juice
  5. 1 tsp cinammon
  6. 2 tbsp almond nut cheese
  7. 2-3 tbsp water
  8. 375F for 15-30 minutes in square coconut oiled pan

Place all ingredients in blender of food processor and blend until combined. Then put in a 8X8 baking pan and throw in the oven on 375F for 20-30 minutes. Turned out light, a tad sweet and delish! I will need to tweak though because it crumbles easily and I want it to stay together. Maybe arrowroot powder or something else, I will update you when I figure it out!

On to the workout…

I woke up ready to tear up some legs and core exercises down at a park near my house with my TRX and straight up body weight moves. I tuned my bike up yesterday so I hopped on my bike, brought my backpack with my workout gear (TRX, phone for music, exercise journal, water) and hit the road for a pre-workout quick bike ride which was perfect warm-up, took me about 7 minutes to get to the park.

Then I did the fabulous workout below baking under the warm morning sun.

Tushy Toner Workout:

Do each exercise for given # of reps and sets. Then move onto next exercise. Complete workout one time through or if you’re really feelin’ it that day, go for 2 rounds!

  1. Pistol Squat (10R/Leg; 2 Sets) (Hold out 1 leg straight while you squat all the way down then back up on other leg, I used TRX for a bit of assistance on way back up)
  2. TRX Reverse Lunge (10R/Leg; 3 Sets) (Make TRX into 1 Foot Strap, place foot in foot strap, hop forward on other leg so you about 4 feet away from anchor point, squat down on leg as you reach foot that is in foot strap back OR do same motion resting one foot on stability ball) (OR do a reverse lunge)
  3. TRX Ham Curls (10 Reps; 3 Sets) (Lie on back facing TRX w/both feet in foot straps, raise hips up, curl feet into butt-back out-then lower hips down OR do same motion w/heels on stability ball) (OR Lie on back, place both heels up on edge of chair, raise hips up and down)
  4. TRX Jump Squat (10 Reps; 5 Sets) (Facing TRX holding handles lightly, feet wide and plie/toes point out, squat all the way down then power up and jump up OR do same motion without holding TRX handles)
  5. TRX Knee Tucks (10 Reps; 5 Sets) (Do plank w/feet in TRX foot straps OR on stability ball, from plank you tuck both knees up to chest and back out) (OR do plank and hop both feet up to hands and back out)
  6. Burpee minus push up (10 Reps; 3 Sets) (From standing, squat down, place hands on ground, jump feet out to plank, jump feet back in, stand up/power up/jump up, repeat)
  7. Shoulder Taps Feet Elevated (20 Taps Alternating; 3 Sets) (Get into plank w/feet in TRX foot straps, on a stability ball or elevated on chair, contract core & right arm as you tap right shoulder w/left hand, repeat w/right hand tapping left shoulder, do 20 reps)
  8. V-Up Knee Tuck Reach High (10 Reps; 2 Sets) (Lie on back, hands at sides, raise upper body up and tuck knees up to chest as you come up into V shape w/body and reach hands up to sky, lower back down)
  9. Side Plank Reach Unders (10 Reps/Side; 1 Set) (Get into side plank on left hand w/feet in TRX OR on stability ball OR elevated on chair, take right hand and twist torso as you reach under left side, do 10 Reps/side)
  10. Side Lift Splits (10 Reps/Side; 1 Set) (Lie on Left Side, split legs pressing feet up against a wall, press left hand into ground right under left shoulder and raise hips up off ground and lower back down, do 10 Reps/Side)

Then I biked back home taking a longer route that included a BIG hill, so biking for just a total of 15 minutes but with intensity! DONE! ENJOY!

After my workout I continued to be quite active. Took my pup for a long walk, hit up the organic market for some goodies, played baseball with my boyfriend and then I needed to cool off from the 90 degree heat with a tasty and refreshing Strawberry Orange Mint Cream Smoothie (VEGAN)!

Strawberry Orange Mint Cream:

  1. 8 Frozen Strawberries
  2. 8 Sprigs Fresh Mint
  3. 6 TBSP Fresh Almond Milk
  4. 1/2 Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  5. 1 TBSP Lacuma Powder
  6. 2 Shakes Stevia/Agave/Brown Rice Syrup
  7. 1 TBSP Shredded Coconut
  8. Ice to desired thickness
  9. BLEND!

As you can see, I had already taken a big gulp of the smoothie before taking the picture! It was just too good to wait! Perfect treat to chill off and cool down from one fabulous Sunday!

Health & Happiness,

Nat

Cream of Celery Soup

Cream of Celery Soup:

  1. Whole head of celery
  2. Nayonaise w/mustard (to taste)
  3. Green Onions (one stalk)
  4. Olive oil (2 tbsp)
  5. Water (slowly add as blending to bring to right consistency)
  6. Sea salt (a few dashes)
  7. Heaping tsp of sweet white miso
  8. For creamy: add avocado, zucchini or cauliflower
  9. For a kick: add cayenne pepper
  10. Blend in blender and garnish with cilantro

This was the first course from my 5 Course Vegan Dinner post. Experiment with this one, as I’m going to try all different variations! Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding? Superfood? Why Yes!

I had an epiphany today about food, nutrition and how EVERYONE should start viewing the ‘eating process’. The macrobiotic challenge has greatly helped me to have this ‘epiphany’. I changed my eating habits A LOT, from what I eat, how often, when, why, how and so on. I’ve cut out all animal products (gone vegan) and for the most part have cut out anything that is processed, meaning everything I prepare or cook is truly a ‘whole food’ in its natural state. At first it was really challenging to make these changes…I didn’t know what to eat, how to prep meals, I got a little frustrated but pushed through and am SO GLAD I stuck with it 100% because the experience has been life changing.
EVERYTHING I eat or drink is to ‘fuel’ my body. Each ingredient in my meals and snacks serve the purpose of contributing the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbs, fats, proteins, etc that my body needs to function at optimal capacity. AND THIS IS THE REASON I FEEL AMAZING. For the last 20 days, everything I have eaten has had some purpose in feeding my body what it needs to function, when you do this amazing things begin to happen. And it has only been 20 days, imagine what 3 months will hold.

My epiphany: Every meal or snack and every ingredient in that meal or snack should have a purpose, fuel for Raw Zucchini & Pesto Lasagnaoptimal performance.

When I wake up, my tea energizes me to start my day and my 16 ounces of water I chug first thing in the morning hydrates me. My breakfast of buckwheat groats gives me the sustained energy I will need for work and my exercise routine. Each meal/snack also has cooling or warming effect depending upon the season (warm/cold/winter/summer). Food, my meals/snacks, fuel me for the next few hours of activity. BUT…the big change, the epiphany…these meals & snacks are so much more fun to make, more satisfying, delicious, have variety, can be ‘sweet’ or ‘savory’, and are SO easily digested because there aren’t any animal products, artificial ingredients or highly processed crap & they are in their natural and ‘whole’ state so that I can receive ALL the nutrients from each ingredient. In turn…the outcome is a clear mind as I’ve never experienced before, energy like I had when I was a 5 year old, weight-less feeling, joy, and as my new friend Kara says ‘seeing the deepest, coolest, most vivid color blue as you’ve never seen it before’.

Master Macrobiotics in 10 easy steps!Depending on how much time I have, I can whip something up that’s good for my mind and body. Or take my time to make an elaborate meal. I HAVE MORE VARIETY NOW THAN I DID BEFORE! Some people may say that I’m on a restricted diet…this is incorrect actually. Look at my pinterest boards, the vast array of recipes and options for all meals of the day is endless and in NO WAY restricted.

In fact, I find the ‘macrobiotic way’ more satisfying. I can even have dessert now! If you stick to the ‘macrobiotic way’ you will shed any excess weight, feel amazingly energized and clear minded and get to enjoy in a variety of satisfying and delicious meals and snacks. I don’t know about you but this is way better than eating oatmeal for breakfast, salad for lunch and chicken and broccoli for dinner every day!

I made my new favorite dessert today, I call ‘Superfood Chocolate Pudding’. So easy to make and tastes AMAZING! Perfect for this time of year (Spring/Summer), has healthy fats, low G.I., loaded with vitamins/minerals and cools you down while satisfying that desire for something sweet and tasty.

“Superfood Chocolate Pudding”

Makes 1 serving.

  • 1/2 Organic Avocado
  • 2 TBSP Raw Cacao
  • 1-2 TBSP Lacuma Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla bean or alcohol-free organic vanilla extract
  • 1/8 cup filtered water
  • Optional- 1 TBSP organic shredded coconut

Put all ingredients in your magic bullet, blender or food processor and blend. Enjoy! Add fresh mint leaves to the blender for mint chocolate pudding! Or fresh squeezed orange juice. Options are endless!

I encourage anyone to do their research and give the ‘macrobiotic way’ a real try, give it 100%, give it 30 days, it will be worth it.

Health & Happiness,

Natty Mac

Ginger & Miso Tea: Calm, Relax, Re-energize & Soothe

Day #9 here on the Macrobiotic/Vegan challenge and I finally made THE TEA! (Yes, Kara…it took me this long). Kara, is the wonderful lady leading me and my group in our macro-vegan adventures this fabulous month of May. So this tea that I made up today is all thanks to her!
Miso is fermented soybean paste. I got Organic Chickpea Miso, so to avoid soybeans. I like the taste of it! Never bring the water to a boil if you’ve added Miso to it because it will kill the active enzymes and goodies in Miso! Whenever you add Miso to a soup or for tea, let the water heat up to the point where Miso begins ‘pillow’ up to the top of the water. Why Miso?

“Fermented foods and drinks help build your inner ecosystem. When your inner ecosystem is healthy, it is full of friendly microflora (beneficial bacteria in your intestines), that help you digest and assimilate nutrients and boost your immunity. In fact, healthy microflora actually go to work for you, creating the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay strong and energized.”
“Miso has been eaten in Japan and China for many centuries and has been attracting the attention of many of us because of its health and anti-aging benefits. It’s also quite delicious. When you aren’t feeling well a bowl of miso soup can be especially soothing.”
 
“Making miso is an art form in Japan. It is made of soybeans and koji, a culture starter made from beneficial molds, yeast and lactic acid bacteria. As long as you choose unpasteruized miso, you will be getting the benefits of live friendly microflora for the health of your inner ecosystem.
 

Miso Benefits:

  • Reduces risks of cancer including breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.
  • Protection from radiation
  • Immune strengthening
  • Antiviral — miso is very alkalizing and strengthening to the immune system helping to combat a viral infection.
  • Prevents aging – high in antioxidants, miso protects from free radicals that cause signs of aging.
  • Helps maintain nutritional balance – full of nutrients, beneficial bacteria and enzymes, miso provides: protein, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin E, vitamin K, tryptophan, choline, dietary fiber, linoleic acid and lecithin.
  • Helps preserve beautiful skin – miso contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps your skin stay soft and free of pigments.
  • Helps reduce menopausal complaints – the isoflavones in miso have been shown to reduce hot flashes.

The other ingredient in this fabulous tea (or soup), is ginger. FRESH ORGANIC GINGER ROOT. ‘Peel’ skin off small piece of ginger and grate ginger. Deposit about 1-2 tsp of the grated ginger into the bottom of your tea cup. Ginger is SO fabulous too! Use on salads in a ‘ginger vinaigrette’ dressing, in cooking or in your tea! It soothes and calms not only your digestive tract and your body, but your mind too! Use ginger root to “heal digestive troubles and decrease inflammation”.

Ginger Benefits:

  • Osteoarthritis. Ginger is an effective osteoarthritis treatment, specifically for the knee.
  • Inflammation. Ginger contains powerful anti-inflammatory agents called gingerols.
  • Nausea and vomiting. People experiencing motion sickness often use ginger to alleviate their symptoms.
  • Morning sickness. Pregnant women have found relief using ginger to eliminate morning sickness.
  • High blood pressure. Ginger can decrease blood pressure and acts as a blood thinner.
  • Digestion. Ginger promotes the production and secretion of bile from the liver and gall bladder, helping to improve your digestion of fats.
  • Free radical damage. Ginger is an amazing antioxidant and offers considerable protection against free radicals.
  • Radiation exposure. Ginger has been shown to protect your body from radiation, possibly in conjunction with its antioxidant capabilities.
  • High blood sugar. Ginger can help regulate blood sugar levels.
  • High cholesterol. One study found that ginger can lower blood cholesterol levels, possibly pointing to ginger as an effective treatment for heart disease.
  • Cancer. In lab tests, ginger extracts were found to destroy ovarian cancer cells. Another study found that the gingerols may inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer.

If you’re trying to overcome a craving for something sweet or salty, making this tea is a great way to get past grabbing for that twinkie!

Ginger & Miso Tea:

1-2 teaspoon freshly grated organic ginger root. Put grated ginger root in bottom of tea cup.

Pour 1-2 cups of water in a small pot, place on stove top, turn on burners to medium-high.

Grab your Organic Chickpea Miso, add 1-2 tablespoons to the pot of water.

Stir in Miso and wait for water to heat up. Again, DO NOT BRING WATER TO A BOIL! You’re just heating it to be hot water for your tea or soup.

Once the Miso starts ‘pillowing’ up to top of the water it is ready! Pour Miso tea water over top the freshly grated ginger root that is in the bottom of your tea cup & enjoy!

Until Next Time,

Nat