Soy's Surprising Link to Obesity

I was just reading a REALLY interesting article in Mother Earth News magazine (one of my favs!) and I felt the need to share some info. Now this may be information overload for some.. and too much 'nutrition' terminology.. but it's super important and I think you should read it :)

The article was talking about the link between soy and obesity. It started off by comparing the collective diet today vs. the common diet 100 years ago. Surprisingly.. fat consumption has NOT increased much in the past century..(despite what you may have heard).. but as you can see from the graph below that I screenshot... Soybean oil in particular has SKYROCKETED! **US consumers eat 1000 times more soybean oil today than 100 years ago!**

Not only is this from vegetable oils made mostly from soy and also in processed foods.. but it's also related to the way animals are raised. Today's livestock, poultry, and farmed fish are almost universally fed soybean meal and oil. The feed's components are then found in YOUR meat, milk and eggs.  So basically you are getting much of your soy SECONDHAND.

So why is this a problem? Soybean oil is super high in linoleic acid.. an essential omega 6 fatty acid that is linked to obesity. (Sorry.. here's were the crazy nutrition terms come in :P ) Since we now consume 1000 times more soybean oil than we did 100 years ago, this means we're getting a MUCH higher amount of linoleic acid. A diet that has a HIGH ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is linked to inflammation.. but the evidence on obesity connects specifically to linoleic acid.

So get this.. they fed lab animals a diet that had 8% of it's calories from linoleic acid to mirror the modern US diet... and this made them FAT. Reducing it to 1% (similar to our ancestor's diets) made these same animals skinny again! SAME amount of calories.. SAME high fat diet.. but with different KINDS of fats.. and obesity reversed itself. WOAH.

So what do you do? Try to eat your dairy, meat and eggs from pastured animals.. which provide the kinds of omega-3 rich fat profiles that actually contribute to a healthful diet! :) Skip the vegetable oil and aim for coconut or olive oil. (Just for reference.. Soybean oil is 56% linoleic acid, Olive oil is 10% and coconut oil is 2%) :)

Success Club Trip 2015 ~ Cancun Mexico

Last week we spent 5 gorgeous days in Cancun, Mexico. I earned this trip for myself and my hubby by earning success club points (by helping people lose weight) which paid for our trip! Beachbody also upgraded us to an ocean front presidential suite.. because they're freakin AWESOME like that!!  I am completely blown away by all of this because seriously, I am just a small town girl who started Beachbody with T25 because I wanted to support my hubby in his weight loss journey!  1 year later I'm in Cancun Mexico with 2,000 other coaches in a presidential suite!  I'd call you nuts if you told me a year ago this would be happening.  But the truth of the matter is this--- if you feel like you are meant to try something in life (like coaching) don't ignore the sign!  Just imagine what the possibilities could be!!!  

We did everything from float in the pool, sip mojitos, swim with dolphins, soak up the sun on a 3 million dollar yacht... to networking with other coaches in the company! Beachbody sure knows how to spoil us! We had an amazing welcome celebration with fireworks and great food and music! The next morning I had a private breakfast with 9 other coaches and the CEO of Beachbody, Carl Daikeler.  That day I also got to meet a majority of team.. which are now honestly more like FAMILY. Some of the nicest, most supportive, inspiring people I've ever met. I just wish we didn't live so far away from each other! Success is only fun when you have someone to share it with!!

Breakfast with the CEO!

My personal invite! Eek!

The Beautiful Moon Palace Resort

One of the many amazing pools!

Beautiful fireworks at the welcome reception!

The following day was one of the most exciting days of the entire trip. It started off with meeting 3 of my favorite Beachbody celebrity trainers!! AND pictures with them! We got to meet Shaun T (Focus T25, Insanity), Tony Horton (P90X) and Autumn Calabrese (21 Day Fix). Was so incredible to meet them in person after having them in my living room on my TV everyday for over a year!

Then we headed to another resort to spend the day on a 3 million dollar private yacht... crazyy.. Miguel (my coach) surprised us with the news that Lindsay Matway (the top coach in the company) would be joining us on the boat for the day!! I've followed this woman from Day 1 as a coach and couldn't believe I was going to be able to talk to her the entire day. A day I'll never forget! We made a pit stop to do some swimming in the crystal clear turquoise water.. we actually jumped from the very top of the boat!!! 

Getting ready to set sail!

A little tid bit of what our day was like!! :) Fun times fun times!

Swimming!!

 Smart Ass Fitness Team!

 And just when I thought that day couldn't be topped.. a few of us decided we were going to go swim with dolphins the next day! I've done it once quite a few years ago.. but for some reason this time felt much more magical. We also got to do a lot more things with the dolphins! Was the perfect finale to an amazing vacation.

Finally.. our trip ended with an amazing farewell reception.. again.. with incredible food, awesome music, and fireworks to top off the night. 

My coach and teammates!

Coach Caleb! Love his youtube videos!

Me and the hubs headed to the reception.

I'll never forget the memories made on this trip and the people I met. My only wish is that for NEXT year's success club trip.. I have some of my OWN team there! Next year we are headed on a cruise to Jamaica! On the largest cruise ship there is! Join the Country Girl Fitness team TODAY!!  I'm now accepting applications to join my team and to join us in 2016 on the S.S. Beachbody Cruise to the Caribbean!

 

Fill out my online form.

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Shakeology Mug Cake!

Ingredients
-1/4 t. baking powder
-1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
-1 packet Stevia
-dash of salt
-1 egg
-optional mix in: peanut butter, cocoa powder
-2 or 3 tbs water/milk

Directions
-In a mug mix Shakeology, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and stevia
-Next, mix in an egg and 2-3 tablespoons of water/milk.
-Mix until dry ingredients are wet.
-If you’d like to add peanut butter, put one dollop in the center and push it down a bit.
-Microwave for 90 sec.
-When it is done the edges will pull from the sides.
Enjoy! :)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza!!

Today I turned one of my favorite CHEAT MEALS -->PIZZA .. into a pretty darn healthy meal!! Instead of using pizza dough.. I found this neat way to make the crust out of 'riced' cauliflower!!! On the left are all of the ingredients I used.. also added some garlic and sliced mushrooms (not pictured).  Theres cauliflower.. spinach.. 1 egg.. 1 tomato.. fresh mozzarella.. oregano.. salt/pepper... and sauce (optional).

First I started by putting cauliflower florets into the blender to 'rice' it. This was a little challenging.. because I had to keep stopping the blender to push the solid pieces down to the bottom.. Got it done though!

This is what "riced" cauliflower looks like! :)

Mixed it with an egg, some of the shredded mozzarella, oregano, salt and pepper. Then I dumped it on to the pizza pan and shaped it into a circle..spreading it pretty thin! Then I baked this by itself at 450 for 15 minutes.

 Once the crust has cooked for 15 minutes.. take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then add sauce.. veggies..cheese..etc. and put back in oven for 10 more minutes! :)

And BAM!! Cauliflower Crust Pizza! No longer a CHEAT meal!!! YIPPEE!!!

21 Day Fix Meal Ideas!

Here's a few examples of some 21 Day Fix Approved meals and the containers counted for each! Enjoy! :)

1 red - 2 eggs
1 purple - berries
1 green - spiraled yellow squash/zucchini

1 red - 2 egg omelet
1 red - 2 slices turkey bacon
1 green - mushrooms/spinach/tomato
1 yellow - Ezekiel bread
1 tsp. - almond butter
1/4 blue - shredded cheese

 

1 red - shrimp

1 yellow - sweet potato
1 yellow - whole wheat spaghetti
1 green - cherry tomatoes/spinach
1 green - 10 spears asparagus

 

Thin Mint Cookie Shakeology

HAPPY FRIDAY!! Sooo... it's that time of year again when those pesky girl scout cookies are EVERYWHERE!! I've had my fair share of eating an entire sleeve of thin mints in a sitting!! ‪#‎guilty‬ But hubby & I are following the 21 Day Fix Extreme meal plan to a TEE for the next 3 weeks so no cookies for us! If you're a fan of thin mints.. you've GOT to try this recipe!! A 30 second Breakfast with the nutrition of 5 salads and tastes like cookies!? I'LL TAKE IT!! ‪#‎gamechanger‬ ‪#‎andhealthytoo‬ ‪#‎addicted‬

"THE CRAB EFFECT"

If you put a crab into a bucket by itself it will climb out. Put several crabs in a bucket and they will ALL stay there. The reason for this is something called "The Crab Effect." As soon as a crab starts to try to make it's way out.. the other crabs pull it back into the bucket. This one crab did not want to be confined. He believed he had a choice and did not have to accept his lot in life. He was willing to venture outside of his imposed boundaries in search for freedom.

Unfortunately, the others in the group did not recognize that they too had a choice, and would not allow the venturing crab to leave the rest of them behind.

Funny enough.. this describes human behavior. If a person busts their ass and begins to excel, they may find that those around them begin to actively discourage their efforts, even mocking their success. Kind of like a "if I can't have it, neither can you" attitude. Some people are afraid of being left behind and don’t want to be left alone. Like they say, ‘Misery loves company.’

Ultimately, no one can keep you in the box except you. It’s hard to succeed without people trying to pull you down but it can be done. Want to lose weight and improve your health but friends try to talk you out of it?? Perhaps they aren't happy with their OWN weight/health and that's why they feel insecure about you bettering yourself. Want to start your own business and live life by design but every person you talk to about it calls you bat-shit crazy? There's a massive discomfort when someone’s potential outgrows the norms surrounding them. In the same way that once the four minute mile was broken then many more followed, success breeds success... and to get there one must resist those that try to pull them down. All too often the weight of the people pulling you down is the only reason that you fail to jump the hurdle.

If you’re happy being confined to the box, then great.

However, if you are a dreamer, a visionary ... or if you simply want a better life, then the effort, the struggle, the sacrifice will be worth it all.

Oh yea.. and get the damn crabs out of your life.. will ya?