The Best Homemade Almond Milk Recipe - useful info from Glen Snider

Have you ever thought about making your own almond mild?  Are you buying it now?  This article tells you why you might want to do it yourself - and it's easy to do.

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/the-best-homemade-almond-milk-recipe/

by Alice Conradt

Today I’m going to share The Best Homemade Almond Milk Recipe. But first let me ask you a few facts if you currently buy almond milk? Did you know…there are harmful ingredients such as synthetic vitamin A Palmitate, D2, E- (Tocopherol Acetate) and Calcium Carbonate (chalk)…yes the same chalk used on chalkboards?

These chemicals cause your body to react defensively as if it’s being invaded by a foreign object. Your body then goes into protection mode to ward off the damage. All of these ingredients can have a harmful effect on your liver, heart and kidneys and stress your immune system as well as contribute to chronic disease, joint and immune system disorders.

The Best Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

Many of us want to make healthier choices for ourselves or our families, but store brands are NOT the answer.

This version takes less than 5 minutes (not including soaking time) and will give healthy omega fatty acids, (which help prevent high blood pressure and heart disease), calcium and vitamin D (for healthy immune function, reduced risk for osteoporosis and arthritis), vitamin E and antioxidants (for healthy skin), and lots of B vitamins and Iron to help promote healing and aid in muscle growth and strength!

Almond Milk Recipe

• 1 cup raw (Organic) almonds
• 10 cups filtered water (divided in half)
• 2-3 Tbsp honey for light sweetness
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• Pinch of sea salt
• Cheesecloth
• Strainer

Soak almonds in 5 cups water overnight, in a covered bowl.

Strain nuts and add them to a blender or food processor with the remaining 5 cups of filtered water. Blend until nuts are pulverized and mixture looks milky.

Place cheesecloth over strainer and drain milk/almond meal into your storage container. Press cheesecloth lightly with wooden spoon or lightly squeeze to express liquid.

Chill in refrigerator or keep at room temperature for up to one week.

*Experiment with other nuts such as Hazelnuts or brazil nuts for a mixed nut milk. Also add a vanilla bean to soaked nuts and process in blender for a natural vanilla flavor or replace honey with Medjool dates or grade B maple syrup, for sweetness.

How To Create A Healthy Meal Plan - ideas by Glen Snider

Meal planning - plan in advance or wing it?  What works for you?  When we wing it, we end up ordering out or not eating healthy.  Here's the way one of my friends does it.  Some good ideas you might be able to use.  Share it with your friends.  Might help them, too.

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/how-to-create-a-healthy-meal-plan/#comment-537

How To Create A Healthy Meal Plan

By Jessica Negrini

Do you struggle when it comes to planning meals? I thought I would share “How To Create A Healthy Meal Plan. In the past, I always struggled in this area of nutrition, and even though I had good intentions of cooking healthy dinners, time would get away from me. Work and other excuses would take over, and BAM I’d be ordering pizza for the family! Not that I’m against pizza or anything, but it’s better for our lifestyles (and our wallets) to not be ordering food out, but rather cooking healthy food at home. Besides, I LOVE to cook, and I love to come up with recipes are healthy AND tasty!

So, I figured out some tricks that work for me, and hopefully they can help you too!

Focusing on one day a week (Sundays for me), I realized I could get more done than I thought I could. I could plan, shop, AND prep, and be set for the upcoming week! Sundays may not work for you depending on your work schedule but any day off could be used.

How To Create A Healthy Meal

I start with the dinner menu for the week. As a typical, crazy-busy family, we decide what we want for dinners based around the protein, how long it needs to cook or heat up, AND what after-school activities we have that day. Then we decide what kinds of veggies and side dishes would go well with the protein. Once dinner is decided, the rest of the meals and snacks are fairly simple. Often we will have leftovers for lunch, and we always have plenty of fruits, veggies and other easy to grab (but still healthy) options for breakfast and snacks.

I check the pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what we have and what we need at the store based on our menu, and food shopping is next. Many things I buy in bulk, especially foods that can easily be frozen and thawed for future meals. This helps keep the budget on track, too.

After shopping, it’s prep time. For me, this typically means baking some chicken breasts, washing and chopping fruits and veggies, and portioning them in easy to grab plastic baggies or containers. I also make home made salad dressings. Meal prep could be different for you depending on your family size and what you eat, but portioning the food items is the biggest help to me regardless. That way there are “grab and go” items, or if we need a quick dinner, it’s all ready to be heated up and gobbled up!

Even though it took some trial and error to see what worked in my house, I now LOVE meal planning, and I’ve become really good at it! Don’t think we don’t order pizza now and again, but for the most part, we are now able to eat healthy and delicious food at home as a family! Try some different things to find what works for you, and make it fun! Happy Planning!

No time for breakfast?  Check out 101 Healthy Nutritious Shake Recipes

Coconut Oil… Is It a Good Oil? - some thoughts by Glen Snider

What’s up with coconut oil?  I’ve been hearing about it and seeing it on labels everywhere for a while – how it’s the miracle “cure” for almost everything.  Why is coconut oil different from other kinds of oils and fats?  What can you believe?  I’ve read several articles about it.  This one summarizes it well.  What do you think?

By Mel Batterman

It seems daily I have people contacting me about my thoughts on coconut oil… Is it a good oil?I am sure that you have seen coconut oil be more prominent in nutrition articles and other nutritional information. You may have also seen in be incorporated into nutritional shake recipes and specific nutritional plans.

Since I get questions often and there is so much information flooding all aspects of media, I thought I should set a few things straight by providing some proper information.

Coconut Oil…Is It a Good Oil?

Coconut oil is one of the only oils that could be classified under the “Superfood” Category. Coconut oil has a unique combination of fatty acids, which have been found to have positive effects on the body, brain function, and more.

In the past coconut oil has been classified as not being a nutritionally sound food because it is 90% saturated fat. Recently studies have changed this thought process because these saturated fatty acids are so different from the standard saturated fats found in red meat, cheeses, and other high saturated fat foods.

The saturated fats in coconut oil are actually MCT’s (Medium Chain Triglycerides). Since they are medium versus long, like most other saturated fats the body processes and metabolizes this fat differently. Which means that when digested they go directly to the liver to be used at energy versus being processed just as a fat that could potentially cause artery clogging issues.

Knowing that coconut oil metabolizes into energy and may potentially increase your overall energy expenditure by 5% over a 24 hour period makes this oil a cut above the rest. Research has also suggested that this overall heightened energy expenditure may help the body burn off more stored fats both in the adipose tissue (external fat), as well as the visceral fat (internal fat).

Another interesting feature that has been found with coconut oil is that is seems to have a hunger depressant quality to it. In a recent study done of men consuming a teaspoon of coconut oil at breakfast per day over a fourteen day period, found that on average their consumption of calories decreased by 256 calories per day.

Both of these studies can be very promising when many nutritional plans are starting to implement coconut oil into the overall plan.

The truth is coconut oil can really provide some extra advantages when added appropriately to your nutritional plan, and is clearly a much better oil choice overall for cooking and consumption.

 These reasons and more is why you may see coconut oil in some of our Beachbody nutrition programs that are associated with some of our top fitness programs. A couple of examples of programs that you will see coconut oil in the nutrition plan is the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme. In the 3-Day shred portion of the 21 day fix, coconut oil is consumed 4-5 times per day. In the 21 Day Fix Extreme Count Down to Competition you will see coconut oil as a part of the program daily.

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/coconut-oil-is-it-a-good-oil/#!155

Review of Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix Extreme Price - What do you really get?

Have you ever seen a workout program and wondered if it is worth it?  I do.  It’s nice when someone who has it tells you what you get and how it worked for them.  If you’ve seen this one advertised, this review will answer those questions for you.

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/21-day-fix-extreme-price/#comment-247

Review of Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix Extreme Price

By Samantha Medina

I have always been the type of person to want to reach my fitness goals, but never had a solid system to follow. Fitness is not just about going to the gym and lifting heavy weights. I tried the gym, personal trainers, fitness classes, but none of it worked for me. Money went down the drain while I was trying to keep up with all the payments. Also, this didn’t come with a personal nutritionist who told me what supplements and foods I should be eating. This is why I needed to find another method that was suitable for my budget, yet could provide me with both the nutritional guide and training I needed to have the body of my dreams.

Review of Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix Extreme Price 

 I was introduced to 21 Day Fix a couple of months ago and immediately lost 14 pounds! It is a great home workout for beginners, comes with a nutrition plan for the 21 days, and is inexpensive. This program changed my life! I am more active than I’ve ever been before, I have more energy, and my eating habits transformed completely. I can truly say I am ready for the next level.

The 21 Day Fix Extreme is launching February 2nd!!! This program is for: 21 Day Fix graduates, both men and women. People who like and crave intensity, want to get shredded and toned, or are getting ready for a special event. This is perfect for going above and beyond in your health and fitness.

The 21 Day Fix Extreme price is only $160. The challenge pack comes with everything needed to achieve the best results in only 21 days. It includes:

• 6 workout DVD’s with 1 bonus DVD and 2 deluxe workouts
• 7 color-coded portion control containers
• 1 month supply of Shakeology
• Shakeology shaker cup
• 21 Day Fix Extreme eating plan
• Countdown to competition
• Free Beachbody Coach support

The 21 Day Fix Extreme price is remarkable for all it includes. I was very surprised it was not more, because usually intense Beachbody programs like Insanity or P90X are $205 or more. As I mentioned before, I’ve tried personal trainers and spent hundreds of dollars. Now with the 21 Day Fix Extreme price being so affordable I have a personal trainer right at home! I also get an eating plan created for extreme workouts, and getting the toned body I’ve always wanted. The best part about it all is the free Beachbody Coach for online support. Staying motivated and accountable is hard to do on your own, but with the support from like-minded individuals, it pushes you to keep moving towards your fitness goal. I cannot wait to start my fitness journey with this program.

21 Day Fix vs Chalean Extreme - Compare & Contrast

Compare & Contrast – I want to SHARE this review.  These two programs both look great.  I wondered how they are similar and different to each other.  This review helps – you’ll have a better idea what to choose and why. 

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/21-day-fix-vs-chalean-extreme/

21 Day Fix vs Chalean Extreme

By Mel Batterman
The 21 Day Fix and Chalean Extreme fitness and nutrition programs are both high quality programs that will provide you with guaranteed results. The choice comes down to what fits your personal goals, needs, and ability to adhere to a 21 day program versus a 90 day program.

Each program provides you with fitness and nutrition that will bring the results you are looking for with a time frame that will work for you.  The 21 Day Fix is a nutrition and fitness program that makes losing weight simple with easy to follow portion control nutrition and 30 minute workouts.  Chalean Extreme is designed to help you shed weight easily through a 3-phase fitness and nutrition system over the course of 90 days.

Both programs are effective for weight loss and building lean muscle. The 21 Day Fix is quite simple.  You never have to count calories, points, or log your food.  You simply use the nutrition plan with the portion control containers and do one 30 minute workout a day.  Chalean Extreme also has a unique and effective plan that breaks the 90 days into 3 phases of progression to build optimal strength and endurance, while shedding fat.

21 Day Fix

Each program offers a unique process to bring the nutrition and fitness together for guaranteed results.  The 21 Day Fix Is the only fitness and nutrition program that truly combines a portion control nutrition system that is fool proof with world-class workouts that makes it simple and sustainable, which is why this program is often the right fit for those who are starting out for the very first time.  Chalean Extreme is unique because of the resistance cardio training that each workout offers.  This combined style of fitness allows for a greater fat loss, and increased lean muscle which burns a greater amount of fat when at rest.

Besides guaranteed results, both programs offer extreme value. The 21 Day Fix comes with the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan and portion control containers, the 21 Day Fix Start Here Guide, the 3 Day Quick Fix Guide, Six Workouts, and a Bonus Workout. There is also an Ultimate Kit which includes two additional workouts, an additional container for meals on the go, a resistance band, and an insulated tote bag.  Chalean Extreme comes with 15 workouts, Muscle Burns Fat Guide, Fat Burning Food Guide, Chalene’s Healthy Eats and Kitchen Makeover Video, Chalene’s Extreme Motivation Audio CD, Thigh Toner Band, and a Resistance Band.

The best part with both programs is that you can purchase them through a Beachbody Coach, and then have that person as your personal accountability coach.  They will help you stay committed, focused, and reach your goals.

When considering whether the 21 Day Fix or Chalean Extreme is right for you, you must consider the following.  Do you need a very precise nutrition plan like the 21 Day Fix offers? Can you adhere to 90 days versus 21 Days?  Do you want more resistance training combined with cardio like Chalean Extreme offers?  Do you want to stick to 30 minute workouts or are you good with workouts that range between 35-45 minutes?  When you consider these and other aspect of your life you will be able to commit to the program that is right for you.  Either way, both programs will provide you the results you have always wanted.