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Flourless Orange Chocolate Scones
Hey Hey Diva friends! It's my birthday so....YOU get a recipe :)
But FIRST!! Are you signed up for my weekly newsletter? If not, you really should be! Recipes, tips, podcast and blog round-ups, first dibs on discounts, and more! Click here to get an email from me every Thursday morning!
When I was a kid, I would start planning my birthday like 4 months in advance...yeah I know I know, overkill....I don't really know where that came from, but I SERIOUSLY love the day.
Fun fact:It's also Flag day (my Mom used to tell me that they put all the flags up for my birthday) ha!
Anywayyyy.....I remember somewhere in my teens it was Oprah's 50th birthday. She was this icon, this rockstar, this super woman who had achieved so many life goals....and I remember her saying that each decade gets better. For whatever reason, that stuck with me. I really didn't like it when people worried about aging, and would dread their birthdays like "oh no! I'm 3 years away from being 30!!" ......I wanted to adopt the Oprah attitude - it's jsut a number, and it can get BETTER with age....
So I did. And it does :) Life DOES get better with age. Here are just a few things for me that have improved each year:
My health
My strength
My attitude
My life purpose
My business....
Now, working as an FDNP it's my job to help you get to the point physically where each year gets better for YOU! To that end, I wanted to give YOU a gift on my birthday!!
In August I'll be launching #HormoneHacker - a 10 week program focused on gut health and supporting your hormones naturally. I created this program because so many of you wanted to go a step further than #GetGutsyWithMe and learn more about your cycles and how your body works AS A WOMAN.
So before I officially launch the 10 week program (stay tuned for all the awesome details!) I wanted to drop this little gift for you. It's my free guide to hack your PMS. 5 simple but major tips to get you on your way to cramp free month!!
I'd love your feedback, so make sure you hop into my free FB group Stop Dieting and Live Your Life to stay in touch as you begin to implement it!!!
p.s. Find this tool useful? Share this blog with a friend so they can download it too!
Without further ado - my birthday scone recipe:
Flourless Orange Chocolate Scones
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup cassava flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- orange zest
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup enjoy life choc chips
Directions:
- Mix the wet ingredients
- Mix the dry ingredients
- Combine
- Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Enjoy!
Note** I've noticed that cassava flour recipes tend to be best warm out of the oven, but we reheated these scones for breakfast and they were just fine! If anyone knows how to make them slightly fluffier I'd love to hear your tips!!!
Successful Traveling Part 2- Driving
Hey Hey Diva friends! Welcome to part 2 of my travel series - giving you all the tips you need to stick to your goals when traveling! If you missed part 1 check it out here.
Today it's all about DRIVING! Driving is awesome because it gives you the chance to take MORE of your own foods that you really love without stressing about having to find them at a local grocery store when you get there.
I recommend stocking up on your favorite snack bars and pre-making a few staples like breakfast muffins or homemade trail mix. Once you arrive you can always stock up on fruits, veggies, and extras!
Check out the list below for some ideas:
- Breakfast muffins like these! Easy to make and easy to travel...
- Rise bars
- Raw Revolution Bars
- Thunderbird Bars
- Fruit
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Trail Mix
- Nut Butters (try these single serve easy to carry packs!)
- Simple Mills crackers (Bring one of their box mixes along if you have the time or ability on your travels to make some pizza crust or desserts!)
- Plantain chips
- Chikpeatos (roasted chick peas)
- Paleo granola (make ahead or bought)
- Shakeology ( I drink it every day and its so easy to travel with!)
A little bit of planning, a little bit of packing and you're good to go! Next up....what to stock your hotel room with!
What are your favorite travel snacks? Share below!
3 steps to stop the yo-yo cycle TODAY
Hey Hey Diva friends!
So this is a pet peeve of mine and I just REALIZED it's a pet peeve...so idk...does it count as a pet peeve if you haven't had it for longer than a few days?! Anyway ;P
As you know, I'm a personal trainer and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner helping people achieve success in their gut health, weight, hormones (and more!) through natural, holistic practices...ones that don't include extreme dieting, counting calories, portion control, or old "diet" mentalities....My greatest desire is to give you FREEDOM. Freedom from the scale, freedom from cravings, excess weight, bloat, and up-down up-down weight cycles.
I especially want to help you navigate the holiday season without THIS as a result:
So here it is...here is my pet peeve: I hate that people gain 20 pounds just because they know if they "diet" a very specific way they can then lose it again. In the body building community it's called bulking and cutting seasons.... But in our world it may simply be yo-yo dieting or, "crash"dieting for specific events or occasions....or even no reason at all except habit.
This tells me two things: 1) The way you normally eat isn't comprised of the right balance for YOU because if it was, you wouldn't pack on the pounds in the first place. Your cravings would diminish, your weight would balance and you would find your perfect homeostasis. I call this #YOUtrition.
2) You're setting yourself up for health concerns down the road if not ignoring them already. (i.e. metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, hormone imbalances, intense cravings, fatigue.....) It's never ok to binge on garbage food...no matter the reason or the end goal! Your body doesn't say "oh she's drinking this coke for this reason, so I'm going to shunt this over to muscle because in a few months she's going on a "cutting" program and we want to see abs...". If it's bad for you on Tuesday it's bad for you on Wednesday. Simple as that.
"If you can't maintain your weight then either it's not a healthy weight
in the first place, or you're choosing the wrong foods for your body."
I even see many health coaches sharing posts on social media that they have "fallen off the wagon" and show pictures of how they have gained weight and need to "get back on track". They will share these pictures when they are advertising a new program, health product, or workout while asking you to join them. They are trying to be relatable and may, in all honesty, be struggling right along with you. But to me that just says they haven't figured out how to really maintain a healthy lifestyle in the day to day...
Here's the truth:
"When you find what works for you then your
before and afters stop because you live your after forever."
Once you Stop Dieting and Live Your Life sure you might fluctuate here and there - hello water, stress, and periods....but anyone that consistently gains and loses 10+lbs or more needs to go back to the drawing board because clearly something isn't working for them it's working AGAINST them.
So instead of keeping it a pet peeve, I'm going to tell you how to fix it in 3 steps:
1) DITCH grains.
Yep I said it. Ditch em....you may find you can indulge occasionally based on your own body chemistry and personal health on things like rice and quinoa, but for now if you haven't stabilized your weight, your blood sugar, and your energy levels... ditch the grains and don't look back. And no you don't need them for fiber ;D, I'll address that in a future blog!
Try this for 30 days and watch the results pour in. If you don't see results, the toaster pastry will be waiting for you on day 31.
2) Fill your plate with vegetables.
AT. EVERY. MEAL. Literally. Make a CRAP ton of vegetables over the weekend if you have to. Heat up organic frozen veggies if that's what works. Make recipes that incorporate them into the main dish. Just MAKE IT HAPPEN. (By the way, there's your fiber!)
3) Move your body and move it frequently.
Now don't freak out, I don't mean become a cross-fitter. NO! In fact, for many with chronic health complaints excessive workouts can exacerbate instead of help the situation! When I say move I mean get that blood flowing in a way that encourages healing. If you have been a chronic dieter then chances are you have some metabolic issues, some underlying health complaints, some achy joints, some fatigue etc..... so I encourage you to move in a way that encourages healing.
By that I mean take long, brisk walks. I love that the fitbit motivates so many people to hit 10,000 tips a day! That's the perfect place to start. If you feel good abut it add some restorative yoga to your week as well and work on some deep breathing practices. You can d intensity from there once you feel energized and balanced!
So there you have it!! Ditch the grains, add more veggies, and walk your brains out for the next month and see what happens!
If you're ready to take YOUR health to the next level and you want some recipes, fun, and accountability along the way, join my Facebook group "Stop Dieting and Live Your Life!" I'm running my FREE Holiday Survival Guide event now through December and you can download that here!
If you really want in-depth support, 1:1 attention and guidance on gut health, balancing your micro biome and restoring your heath from the inside out, check out my new 8 week program "Get Gutsy With Me" Launching January 15, 2018!!!
I'd love to hear YOUR story below! Comment below with any thoughts or questions!
