Do your jeans fit?

 True story from a friend! 

I got her "emergency text" this morning.

She was planning a weekend getaway to the mountains to see the fall leaves next week, and pulled all of her jeans out of her closet.

All of them were uncomfortably tight.

Good thing I have a challenge group starting Monday. 

This is exactly what this is for. 

To catch it before it gets too far gone.

If you want a fun, uplifting, motivating, accountable private group to help keep you on track. Including your eating, learning that eating is actually eating and not depriving yourself, quick effective exercise(30 min or less), recipe help, menu planning, tips and tricks. 

Then you need to get off of the fence and join this group that is pre-starting on Monday. 

I cannot recommend it more.

This is what helped me get on my journey. It was to have people who look out for you and you have some accountability with. 

It makes you feel like you're not alone in this ride.

Eating better does not mean you go without, nor you cannot have occasional treats or adult beverages(you wouldn't be human if you didn't want it). 

I would not have survived this long being completely 100% regimented. 

Have you tried on your winter clothes after enjoying your summer self thoroughly?

Are you a bit fearful and what you'll find out?

Curious? Message below or send a private message.

 #FallIsHere #DoNotHideUnderYourSweaters #DoYourJeansFit #ClothesToSmall #EatingExercise #YouAreWorthIt

Seven Day Sugar Detox

Kicking sugar to the curb one granule at a time

If I were to offer you a free 7 day interactive sugar detox would you be interested?

Have you wondered what sugar is really doing to your body and you wish you could just get off of it for a few days, to clear your head literally. 

Did you know that too much sugar in your diet affects your taste buds, can effect fat cells, your hormones and it definitely affects your brain.  It is also known as the Brain Fog. 

It is not hard, it truly isn't it just takes a little bit of shopping before hand, prepping some food items so you're not tempted and will not get into the sugar crave. 

 The willpower that you are not going to give up because you're kind of curious how it feels on the other side.

This is one of the things that I had to do back in the early spring. 

Except, and you can feel sorry for me here, I had to stay on this sort of the eating plan for almost 6 weeks.

I was given a list of foods that could not have, a few items I could and I was cast out intol the wind to keep up with actually eating and plan my own meals. 

And I think I'm that sort of a creative person that I actually did.

Was it the funnest thing I've ever done, no. 

Was I legitimately surprised at the end of my journey of around seven days how different I felt. Absolutely!

I have questions about these three day sugar detox cleanses that are out there. 

I had detox effects from sugar for 72 or more hours. It wasn't until the end of the seventh day that I felt like I was not going to die and that's when I noticed a mental and physical clarity. 

So if you're interested in taking the plunge with a few of my closest friends, please sign up by commenting below. I will share a post each day, please feel free to ask any questions in the comment section below.   

Or you can shoot me a friend request/message on Facebook. My link is over on the right-hand side.

The Grape Obsession

Seeing as though it feels like I am allergic to 65% of all food groups on the face of the earth, I kind of activate the "on switch" when it comes to things I can eat, vying  to the side of obsessive.

This summer season it has been a few foods.  Heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, black beans, avocados, zucchini (I even just bought that spiralizer for my zucchini so I can make edible "noodles") and last but not least, grapes.

Grapes of all sizes, shapes, colors, textures and sweetness levels.

Earlier in the season it was your basic red seedless grape, champagne grapes followed and then obsessive to the point of I need an AA group, the cotton candy grapes.

I was flummoxed at the price of the cotton candy grapes because they soared back up to $4.99 a pound.  I didn't know if I wanted to pay that. 

Even though I know that these little beauties are only around a short time and you'll  go 10 months without ever seeing them again.

Today I was sashaying my little cart in the local market, sipping on pumpkin pecan house roast blend, while pushing my little cute kart buggy around when I spied with my little eye these gems. 

I had never seen of them, heard of them, and had no idea grapes even came in that shape. Even the name Moon Drops. How 70s of them!

Of course the produce clerk saw a sucker in his midst or a chance to sell the last couple bags, gave me a sample of these foreign delights.  I was hooked, bag was applied to the cart/buggy and they were going home with me.

So here I am with the little guys,  craving something sweet and knowing that it should be something healthy and not chocolate. 

Because I really like chocolate and chocolate is very good for the woman brain.

They are sweet like a Concorde grape, little more tart than a cotton candy grape and are very crisp in crunchy.

I'm really glad I found them, the clerk said they're less available than a cotton candy and a little pricey.

And I held my head up high in total indifference as I pushed past the bakery with the little Keylime tartlet's, red velvet cheesecake, passionfruit créme pots, apple pastries and Napoleons. Unfortunately having to declare all of them unavailable to my discerning pallet. Or enough of a hindrance to the digestive tract. 

So I highly recommend that you try them. Go a couple of them just to bring them home and have a conversation piece. 

At the end of each of these little tubular cylinders, is a small dimple on the end like you just tucked it in on purpose

So if you're bored one night while watching whatever is on TV these days, grab a little bowl of these beauties and avoid the chocolate. 

Your waistline will thank you.

Real Pumpkin Spice Latte

So I wanted a pumpkin spice latte this afternoon. But I wasn't willing to go to the big box coffee house and get a pumpkin spice latte that I'm not quite sure what is inside of it. 
Not to mention it costing me five and change.

So I did some research, took some mental notes and just winged it in the kitchen.
The results were pretty spectacular. 

It actually tasted like a pumpkin spice latte, but way better. 

Not to mention I know what's inside of it and it was completely healthy.
Because of my many food allergies now, it is completely vegan and I don't think you would ever know the difference.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 c really strong coffee or espresso shot(Per serving).  

3 T organic solid pack pumpkin.

1/2 t pumpkin pie spice. 

1t of cinnamon. 

Liquid Stevia

*optional* Virgin coldpressed coconut oil. 

In a small sauce pan, add one half of the mixture of almond milk, pumpkin, and spices. 

Bring to a slow boil, over medium heat, whisking continuously.  Simmer for up to five minutes. The consistency and textura

 will start to change.

This is where I thought that it needed some extra fat. If you were doing it for real, it would have whole milk or 2% with added whip cream. But since we are doing this vegan style, it just needed fat for emulsifier.  This is where I added about one heaping teaspoon of cold pressed virgin coconut oil.  

Add the remainder of the almond milk to the pan now.

The other in recipes stated that you should strain the mixture through a sieve. But this organic packed pumpkin, really did not have a lot of chunks/pulp or strings. I kind of like the texture anyway. But, I decided since that I am skilled in the art of doing bulletproof coffee, that I would emulsify this mixture with the virgin coconut oil in it.

I blended it on a medium speed for about one minute.  It achieves a nice froth on top, blends quite nicely, thus removing the need to strain through a sieve.

In the still hot sauce pan I added the coffee/espresso and a half of the pumpkin mixture inside the blender.

You can decide whether you want more coffee or more pumpkin taste at this point. 

I then added a few drops of liquid Stevia to add a little bit of sweetness.

Pour into your favorite fall festive mug and voila,  you have a tasty, healthy treat.

The  extra pumpkin mixture I put in a container in placed in the refrigerator.  

Or you could share with a friend, a loved one or hoard it all for yourself for another day.

Pumpkin mixture will make two grande style lattes.

Let the pumpkin games begin.

Best part, it costs way less then five dollars and change per serving.