Apr 23, 2018 | Blog
Earlier this week, I had a phone call with one of my clients. She put me on the spot with a deep, powerful question.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
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She had just told me how her father, after having a heart attack, changed his diet, started working out and completely transformed his life & health. He told her that his only regret is that he didn’t make the changes decades earlier.
She asked me to think back to when I was 350+ pounds and beginning my journey to a healthier, more vibrant version of myself. She said,
“If you had a coach then, what do you wish they would have told you?”
The answer came to me quickly. I wish someone had told me something along the lines of…
“Lose the weight, for sure, but don’t make weight loss your primary focus or main pursuit. Happiness matters more. If you’re going to do the work, do the right work.
You don’t want to lose the weight and still feel like something is missing or wrong. What you really want isn’t just to be smaller. What you really want is to be happy, lighthearted, confident and fit. Pursue the big picture.”
It probably would have made me nervous. I would have insisted that weight loss itself would make me happy. Fortunately, I now have the benefit of hindsight and can see that big picture.
What I know now is that weight loss simply makes you weigh less. While that’s awesome, it increases energy and improves mood, it’s absolutely separate from happiness.
Plus, so much of my weight issue was actually an unhappiness issue, not a food issue. I was trying to distract myself, soothe myself and pursue pleasure because of a fundamental lack of happiness and joy in my life.
I wish I knew that then.
I want my life to be joyful. I want my life to be full of rich, meaningful, authentic relationships. I want to have fun. I want adventure. I want to laugh a lot and feel light at heart.
I don’t want stress about food or weight to mark any single day of my existence.
These days, my pursuit is simply feeling my best, creating joy and choosing happiness. That does have an impact on my food choices (I don’t feel joyful when I’m in a sugar coma but I also don’t feel joyful if I’m making everything about fat loss.)
I am intentional about beginning every day by asking how I can create joy and make the day amazing. I evaluate choices based on what will make me feel amazing (and what won’t.)
My priority is not the tag inside my jeans or the number on the scale. My priority is a happy, joyful, vibrant life.
I wish I lived this way years ago!
Apr 18, 2018 | Blog
I’ve been super frustrated. I’ve felt stuck. I’ve felt like what I need is out of my hands. I guess I’ve been feeling kind of powerless. It’s an awful feeling.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
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While it hasn’t been about health, fitness or fat loss and yet, it kind of is about those things because how we think when we feel stuck, how we operate when we feel powerless – it impacts every single area of life.
Several months ago I moved into a new house. Things have not gone according to plan. For months, there was a new problem every day. Because I’m not an electrician, plumber or contractor, I’ve felt powerless. I’ve felt like I need these people in order to solve my problems. When people haven’t followed through, shown up for appointments, returned my calls or scheduled repairs, I’ve felt stuck.
These are absolutely first world problems, but they are problems I want fixed. I want to put all these issues behind me, but I’ve been telling myself it’s out of my control.
Yesterday, as I was driving home from the grocery store, I heard something on a podcast that shifted my perspective and put me right back in my power. Alex Fiance, founder of Kairos, said:
You can create anything from scratch with the right people.
Boom. That was all I needed to hear.
EVERYTHING is possible with the right people. Everything.
Immediately, I reframed my situation.
Really, Elizabeth?! You’re going to choose to feel powerless over home repairs? No. You are more than that. You have more options. Stop with the drama and victim stuff. Stop now.
Simply, I haven’t found the right people. THAT is my responsibility and completely in my power.
Of course I feel powerless when I sit and think that people “should” respond. They “should” show up. They “should” return calls.
What good is “should“?
None at all. Reality is all that matters. Should is a complete waste of power.
What’s squarely in my control is calling more people. Asking around. Being more involved in creating the solution than being in my feelings and choosing to feel like a victim of the problem.
I need to find the right people.
And that’s not the only option. Explore ALL the options! For example, I need a new media center built. I can learn to build it. That’s certainly not my only option, but my point is, neither is sitting and pouting because no one has followed through and shown up to do it.
This might seem random. Why am I writing a post about home repairs? Here’s why:
Everything is possible with the right people. Everything is possible with the right attitude. Everything is possible with the right strategy.
Stop with should. Stop with the problem.
What are your options? What can you do?
You can create anything from scratch.
Apr 16, 2018 | Blog
I love chimichurri and I’ve got a great keto chimichurri recipe that is amazing with just about anything you put it on! You can go the traditional route and put it over steak, but it’s a perfect complement to chicken, fish and veggies, too!
If you’re new to chimichurri, it’s a sauce or marinade traditionally made with oil, vinegar, garlic & parsley. It has huge flavor and is really easy to make at home. One of my favorite things about chimichurri (other than the killer flavor) is that there’s no cooking required! That’s right – everything goes right into the blender raw!
I decided to kick it up in both health & flavor by using Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil & jalapeno.
If you give it a try, leave a comment and tell me what you paired it with and what you thought!
Keto Chimichurri
- 1 cup avocado oil (I used Primal Kitchen brand from Thrive Market*)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (I used Napa Valley Naturals Organic from Thrive Market*)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 large handful fresh parsley
- 2 large handfuls fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
- juice of 1/2 a lime
Add all these items into your blender or food processor. If you have a weak blender, chop the ingredients more finely. I’m in love with my Vitamix blender – I basically threw everything in whole.
Serve over chicken, beef, fish or veggies. You can also use this as a marinade! I simply drizzled it over chicken thighs and dipped my bacon-wrapped brussels in it! Delish!
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
Apr 11, 2018 | Blog
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been cooking a good bit more lately. If you haven’t noticed, it’s probably because you don’t follow my Instagram stories where I show what I’m eating on the regular.
Historically, I haven’t really liked to cook. It took too much time, a single recipe could cost me $50 or more at the grocery store and I’d spend 3 times as much time cooking and cleaning up as I would enjoying the meal. Plus, I’d end up with a bunch of random stuff in my fridge that I wouldn’t use again. That’s not fun for me.
But, things have changed…I’m not spending more (money or time) but I AM cooking more and really enjoying the process.
Since I started getting shipments from Thrive Market (especially their new frozen meat & fish deliveries), I’ve challenged myself to find the simplest meal I can make with what I already have, that would be both delicious & fat loss friendly. Bonus points for minimal dishes!
The other day, I realized I could make shrimp creole in one pot with the shrimp from Thrive Market, plus I’d have leftovers and if I served it over cauliflower rice it would be filling AND fat loss friendly!
So, that’s what I did! Super easy. Super good. Very few dishes. Awesome as leftovers.
Shrimp Creole Over Cauliflower Rice
3 cans diced tomatoes*
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper*
16 oz raw shrimp*
2 bags frozen cauliflower rice
In a large pot, add tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, celery, jalapeño, white onion, salt & cayenne. Simmer over low heat for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally, to allow flavors to develop.
30 minutes prior to meal time, add raw shrimp and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes (until shrimp go from gray to pink/red).
Serve over cauliflower rice!
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
If creole isn’t your thing, check out the recipes I’ve put up on the blog in the last couple weeks:
Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs
Keto Burrito Bowls
Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls
Apr 9, 2018 | Blog
I hear so often that people don’t know where to start. They are overwhelmed. Because they can’t figure out where to start, they spin their wheels and get nowhere.
Let’s attack this with an insanely simple solution you can use every day for the rest of your life.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
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Imagine the best version of yourself.
Imagine you ARE that person today. What are you like? As the best, happiest, healthiest & most successful version of yourself, what choices do you make as you go through the day?
Make a list.
Do those things. Today.
Repeat tomorrow.
Repeat the next day.
Repeat.
Not knowing where to start is a reflection of too much thinking and not enough doing!
Do the work! Get in the game!
Apr 5, 2018 | Blog
I am really excited about today’s episode of the podcast. Episode 471, which airs today, is clearing up some major nutrition misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Most of them came up in response to episode 469 on extended fasting.
We’ll tackle a bunch of them, but I want to dive into one specific one right here on the blog.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
In episode 469 I explained that your body won’t burn your muscle tissue for fuel when you’re fasting, so long as you have a body fat percentage over (approximately) 4-6%.
Someone responded with a disagreement. Her stance is that science PROVES you lose lean mass because some research has shown an increase in urea in the urine during fasting compared to non-fasting.
To get everyone on the same page, urea is a byproduct of protein metabolism. This listener, and some researchers, conclude that protein metabolites in the urine during fasting (when you aren’t consuming protein), prove that your body burns lean muscle during a fast.
WRONG.
It doesn’t prove that. Here’s why:
Metabolizing protein does not mean burning muscle tissue. Understand that lean muscle tissue is NOT the only protein component in your body. Not even close. Could burning lean mass produce an increase of urea in the urine? Yes of course. But that doesn’t mean that increased urea in the urine means you’re burning lean mass.
There are many other (more) logical explanations.
For example: we talked about autophagy, right? In both episodes 469 and 470 we talked about this cellular clean up process where your cells, under certain conditions, are able to eliminate broken, defective or old components.
Guess what? Some of those components (perhaps many of those components) are proteins. So, as we go through this cellular detoxification and clean-up, we will see metabolites of that process in the urine.
If you have questions or rebuttals to this, make sure you listen to episode 471 first because we’ll go more deeply into this issue and many more including:
- Why urine ketones might not reflect if you’re in ketosis or not
- Why you can’t judge a fast exclusively by what happens during a fast (you must consider what happens after the fast)
- What fuels your muscles during a workout when muscle glycogen has been exhausted?
Have other questions or looking for clarification? Let me know and we’ll dive into them here on the blog or on the podcast!
Make it a great day!
Apr 4, 2018 | Blog
I love Mexican food but it’s not always the most fat loss friendly cuisine. Until now! I hope you love this keto burrito bowl as much as I do!
Download the Fat Loss Food Guide
Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls
A quick note before we dive into the recipe: I used a grass fed ribeye from Butcher Box but you could use anything. You could skip the meat and add fajita style veggies. You could use chicken, pork, shrimp, fish or turkey. Use what you love! I’m gonna assume you know how to cook meat. If you don’t, Google it. Step 1: cook your meat. Let it rest.
Here’s what you’ll need for your cilantro-lime cauliflower rice:
- 2 bags frozen cauliflower rice
- 2 tbsp butter or ghee
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 clove minced garlic
- salt to taste
In your skillet, melt butter and add garlic & onions until onions are slightly translucent. Then add cauliflower, stirring occasionally. After about 7 minutes, add salt to taste, cilantro & lime. Cook for another 5 minutes before removing from heat.
Here’s what you’ll need for your guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 seeded, diced jalapeno
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- salt to taste
In a bowl, add all ingredients & mash with a fork.
Optional other ingredients:
- your favorite salsa
- cheese
- sour cream
Build your bowl. Cauliflower rice > salsa > guacamole > protein of choice > your other favorite toppings.
If you want to see more of my meal ideas and what I eat, make sure you’re following me on Instagram! I share my daily eats and meal ideas in my Instagram stories (different than posts).
If you want to learn more about fat loss nutrition and eating foods you love that love you back, you can download my free fat loss food guide here.
Download the Fat Loss Food Guide
****Please don’t ask how many servings this makes. Serving size depends not on a meal, but on the whole picture of your day. If you eat & snack throughout the day, you’ll eat less at an evening meal. If you eat and snack less throughout a day, you might eat more at night. Pay attention to 1) how hungry you are 2) If your portions are working for you – producing the results you want *****
Looking to learn more about ketogenic diets and eating fat to lose fat? Check out these podcasts!
Episode 388: The Keto Reset Diet
Episode 511: 4 Common Sense Questions To Ask of Every Diet
Apr 2, 2018 | Blog
Looking for a low carb, fat loss friendly way to enjoy a spicy tuna poke bowl? I’ve so got you covered!
I love sushi. I love Asian cuisine. Unfortunately, most Asian dishes use rice and/or sugary marinades. So, I created an amazing spicy tuna poke bowl and made it over cauliflower rice! It was delicious!!
Ready for the recipe? Just keep in mind that you can dial back the spice to accomodate your preferences. You could also use a cooked protein like chicken, beef or shrimp if you aren’t down with raw fish.
Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl over Cauliflower Rice
Here’s what you’ll need to pick up at the grocery:
- 8 oz sushi grade tuna (raw)
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut aminos*
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee*
- 1/2 cup carrots, cut in thin strips
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
- 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Avocado Mayo*
- 3 tsp Sriracha
Now you’re ready to get cooking!
- With a sharp knife, cut your tuna into cubes.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix 2 tbsp coconut aminos, fresh ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, half your chopped green onion, and 1 tsp sriracha.
- Add tuna to that mix and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours
- In a separate bowl, mix Primal Kitchen Avocado Mayo, 2 tsp sriracha, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp coconut aminos. Set aside.
- Melt butter in sauce pan and add frozen cauliflower rice. Stirring often, leave over heat for approximately 10 minutes or until it’s heated through.
- Assemble your bowl:
- Put cauliflower rice in bowl
- Add tuna, carrots, bell pepper, avocado & sauce
- Garnish with the remaining green onion
- Enjoy!
{Please don’t ask how many servings it is. Servings depend on the entire picture of your day, not one meal. A serving will look very different for someone who eats 3 meals and 2 snacks than it will for a person who practices intermittent fasting and has 2 meals daily without snacking. Servings also depend on your activity level, your goals, your body composition, etc.}
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
Mar 30, 2018 | Blog
Many of you were following along on the videos I shared in my Instagram stories as I completed a 7-day water fast last week. That’s right, for 7 full days I had nothing but water, black coffee and some pink himalyan sea salt.
I got so many questions and I thought I’d take some time here on the blog and in the podcast to share answers to the most common questions, most especially: is extended fasting healthy?
The big picture point to remember is this: it’s the way you EAT that will drive your health and results, not the way you FAST. So while fasting might be a great option for you to detox or challenge yourself, it’s not the ONLY approach and it’s certainly not for EVERYONE. If you aren’t consistently eating well, work on that first. If you struggle with disordered eating patterns, DON’T FAST! You’ve got to use common sense, friends. If fasting represents an “all or nothing” mindset, know thyself. Don’t delve deeper into a pattern that doesn’t work for you.
Can we agree to be adult and responsible about the approaches we try? Crash dieting doesn’t work. Binge and restrict isn’t a pattern to reinforce. You use your head.
Focus on taking impeccable care of yourself. Okay?
There’s no option to listen to this blog because I cover all the important stuff in the video below and in episode 469 of the podcast. In this video preview and the complete podcast episode I cover:
- Does your body go into starvation mode when you fast?
- Is extended fasting healthy?
- Why 7 days? Can I go for more or less time?
- Does fasting damage your metabolism?
- Does bone broth or butter coffee break your fast?
- Why do you consume salt on your fast? What kind? How do you consume it? How much?
- How do you handle moments when you’re really hungry?
- How do you feel on an extended fast?
- Why should you fast?
- Who shouldn’t fast?
- Can you workout when fasting?
You can check out the video below but make sure you listen to episode 469 of the podcast for more details! If you have additional questions after the video & podcast, leave them in the comments and I’ll be sure to do a follow up! I’ll be doing a follow up episode (episode 471) on some of the common misunderstandings that surround breaking down protein versus losing lean muscle mass (they aren’t the same thing).
For more resources on fasting, check out the following:
The Complete Guide To Fasting by Dr. Jason Fung & Jimmy Moore
Primal Potential Episode 307: Is Fasting Right For You?
Primal Potential Episode 310: Beyond Fasting: What 5 Days Without Food Taught Me About Eating
