A Healthy Take on Broccoli Beef

For once, I don’t have much to say about the creation of this recipe, because it is one of the few on this blog that isn’t original! 😂 This recipe is 100% shoplifted from one of my favorite sources, the Beachbody on Demand Blog. Talk about a treasure trove of recipes! 

If you’re wanting a change up from your normal dinner  routine, this might be one you want to check out. Some ginger and coconut oil go a long way towards this healthier version of your typical Chinese-food-Court dish, with way more flavor and flair! It’s a hit with my kiddos (tolerable by my broccoli-hating husband), and a huge win for me.

Ingredients:
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
6 Tbsp. water, divided use
2 Tbsp. corn starch, divided use
1 Tbsp. raw honey
1 lb. raw top sirloin beef, trimmed of fat and sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
1 tsp. coconut oil
4 cups broccoli florets
2 medium bell peppers, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 thin slice fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Combine soy sauce, 4 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. corn starch, and honey in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
2. Combine remaining 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a large bowl; mix well. Add beef. Toss gently to coat.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add beef; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from skillet, keep warm.

5. Add broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes. Place broccoli mixture in beef bowl.
6. Add soy sauce mixture to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, or until thickened.
7. Return beef and broccoli mixture to skillet; cook, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through.

As always, if you decide to make it, I hope you’ll share some feedback with me! I always love to hear from you. This January’s fitness group is filling up now, so if you want a plan with a purpose, message me soon! Happy, healthy holidays to you and your family! Love, Amanda  

Start Your Day With Pumpkin Protein Pancakes!

It's fall, an pumpkin spice is every where! Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin doughnuts... But what about something you can make at home, that the whole family will enjoy? That fresh baked pumpkin smell fills the house when you grill up these homemade pumpkin pancakes. And the bonus? They'll get your day off to a healthy start packed with the protein and carbs you need to be at your best.  

Here’s what you need for ingredients:

Wet: 

 -3/4 c. Pumpkin Purée (not pie filling)

 -1 Whole Egg

 -4 Egg Whites 

 -1/4 c. Unsweetened Cashew Milk (or milk of choice)

 -1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract

Dry ingredients: 

 -2/3 c. Oat Flour 

 -2 Scoops Vegan Vanilla Shakeology (or any vanilla protein powder)

 -1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

 -1 tsp. Cinnamon

 -1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

 -1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

These cakes are super simple to make. Preheat your stove or griddle to a little below medium (a 4 out of 10), and if you’re not using a non-stick surface, lightly spray your pan. Grab your nearest spoon, fork, or child and stir the dry ingredients together. Next, mix the wet ingredients, then combine the two. That's it! I told you these were simple! 

Instead of pouring this batter like you make a traditional pancake, this thicker mix can be spooned out into the pan. They will not rise and expand like traditional cakes, so smooth them into the exact shape you want to be eating. About 2 minutes per side, and you should be ready to enjoy! 

*Note* If you follow my recipe exactly, this recipe packs 10 grams of protein per pancake, as well as 4 grams of fiber and only 140 calories. Your nutritionals will vary if you alter the recipe. Also, I use vegan vanilla Shakeology in this recipe, my personal protein shake (and so much more) of choice. Message me to learn more, or get your own here!

You can doll these up as much as you want! My 7 year old Olivia had a few chocolate chips and walknuts on hers, and I went with 2 cakes, a tablespoon of chopped pecans and a tablespoon of pure maple syrup. Heaven on a plate, and the best part? No guilt!

My Countdown to Christmas challenge group is up and running, and we are ready to make forward progress towards 2018 instead of regretting our choices until then. If you’re looking for a great community for support, fun prizes, fitness, recipes, and more, jump in with us! I’d love to tell you more about it. 

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving with your families today, and enjoy these pancakes on cold winter mornings to come. As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda

What does a 6-Figure Coaching income Look Like?

So you have big dreams and huge goals for your Beachbody Coaching business? What does it take to get there? What activities do these coaches do? Well, last year we decided to ask the most successful coaches in the entire network and find out exactly what they do each day to help the achieve and succeed in this business, and guess what we found? So many of them had identical activities on their list! And thats the true beauty of what we do-- you don't have to reinvent the wheel-- you just have to do what it takes and step up as a leader, making your daily activities non-negotiable. If you treat this opportunity like the business that it is, it will PAY you like a business!


**The majority of list was put together by Mindy Wender after polling members of 5 Star Elite Coaches and above.**

• I meet 3-5 new people on social media daily 
• I host a monthly fitness challenge group 
• I earn success club 10 monthly (minimum 5) without exception! 
• I return messages regarding my business every day 
• I have scheduled business hours - I am PRESENT and in the moment during this time. 
• I don't go to bed until my power hour to do list is complete 
• I workout 5 days per week 
• I drink Shakeology daily 
• I add 4 or more new coaches every single month 
• I do a getting started right call with my new coaches NO MATTER WHAT. 
• I find out my new coaches why/goals and help them set up a plan of action 
• I check back in with my coaches often and focus on THEIR goals, not my goals FOR them. 
• I host monthly coach basic groups for my new coaches 
• I dig deep in my downline to look for up and coming leaders and help them succeed 
• I am growing my Facebook friends list by 20-30 people every single week 
• I am growing my following on instagram by 20-30+ people weekly 
• I am putting this opportunity in front of 5+ people every single week 
• I have read the book Magic of Thinking Big 
• I have read the book Go Pro 
• I have read the book The Compound Effect or The Slight Edge 
• I track my progress using notebook, spreadsheet, evernote, asana, etc. 
• I have a success partner or group so I stay on track weekly 
• I post on my social media sites 2-3x per day 
• I have hired an assistant to do the busy work for me at least 5 hours per week (1 hour per day) *Scheduling Challenge Group Posts, tracking my coaches progress, posting recognition, etc…(Check out Elance.com) 
• I follow up with all my prospects in a timely manner 
• I write down my goals every single week on the same day at the same time. I review my goals every morning 
• I wake up early and EAT MY FROG (do the thing I tend to avoid most, first! 
• I get 7 hours of sleep 
• I am reading more than 10 pages of a personal development book daily 
• I listen to more than 20 mins of personal development audios daily 
• I get on the National Wake Up Call every monday (or listen to the recording on Monday sometime ) 
• I get on my team's weekly call OR find inspiration through other top leaders and start my OWN team calls. 
• I am watching other leaders to get ideas from what they are doing and mocking it but making it my own 
• I work from a to do list every single day. I either create my to do list the night before OR early in the morning. 
• I talk about the business or products to at least 2-3 people per day 
• I am hosting weekly or biweekly 'What is Coaching' calls for my coaches and downline 
• I am hosting a weekly accountability call or google hangout where they report their progress 
• I attend Summit 
• I do things that make me uncomfortable in the short term that grow me long term! 
• I post about my internship/ "new coach group" a few times per month 
• I am confident when talking to people about what I do 
• I treat my business like a business 
• I am a leader and always do the things I ask of my team! 
• I make at least 2 new youtube videos monthly 
• I create systems that are simple for my team. 
• I offer to host and guest speak on the weekly team call 
• I offer to host the what is coaching webinars for the team 
• I have made a list of the 10 QUALITIES I would want in a coach on my team and I am actively working on MYSELF in those areas via personal development! 
• I openly share MY fitness and health journey and am vulnerable, real and connected to my followers showing them by my OWN example what is possible with these products! 
• I share about MUCH more than just Beachbody on my FB/IG, and focus on ADDING VALUE to my network's lives (rather than just selling and recruiting). I know the most important aspect of this business is building trust FIRST. 

What do you think? Is this something you would like to learn more about? If so, I would LOVE to talk to you more one-on-one and answer any and all of your questions!

CLICK HERE to fill out our coach application and find out if we are a good fit!

I look forward to chatting with you soon! Live healthy, Live happy!

      Love, Amanda

+++++++++++++++++++

Income Disclaimer and Income Earnings Statement: Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill.

The Statement of Independent Coach Earnings can be found by CLICKING HERE!

Pumpkin Seeds: A Great Snack for Fall, or Any Time of Year!

Everyone's talking about pumpkin spice now that fall is here, but what about pumpkin seeds!? These are one of my favorite toppings for salads and also as a snack alone, and they are jam-packed little powerhouses! Some of the benefits are:

🎃Zinc for immune-system support

🎃Magnesium for heart-health ❤️

🎃Healthy omega-3 fats

🎃Anti-inflammatory benefits

They are so easy to make, too!  I love to make a pan in the oven on a high broil, stirring them frequently (they burn easy if you forget them!). It only takes about 5 minutes to make them, and you'll be filling your body with nutrition to boot! Bonus tip: Sprinkle them with a little Himalayan sea salt.  Mmm...yummy!

Here they are portioned out into 1/3 cup servings, ready for me to add to a wrap or salad for crunch, or just as a snack! 

As always, I'm here to help you on your fitness journey- just reach out! And if you try these yummy seeds, I'd love to hear about it! Live happy, live happy. Love, Amanda 

Grilled Chicken Dijon

I'm always looking for recipes that meet my most important criteria: Easy. Fast. Clean. And dammit, they'd better taste good, too. And guess what? This one hits them all. Start to finish, this yummy dinner will only cost you a total of 15 minutes. Here's what you'll need to serve 2:

• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 
• 6 fresh parsley sprigs (or thyme, marjoram, or rosemary), finely chopped 
• 1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 2 (4-oz.) each raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

PROTIP: Double (or more!) this recipe and have extra servings for a big family, or even leftovers for work. This reheats great! I also made amazing honey dijon chicken wraps with the leftovers for my husband's work lunch. Try it out, and don't be afraid to get creative!

The secret to this quick preparation is using the broil function on your oven- but take it from someone who knows, and make sure not to leave the room! Just a few extra minutes on a high broil, and we are talking chicken hockey-pucks. :P  So step one, turn that broiler on! Step two is to prepare your dijon glaze.

In a bowl, mix your garlic, mustard, parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Now, in my case, I went with a coarse ground mustard, so mine is not as much of a marinade as a paste-- and I LIKE it that way! Yours can be more or less dense, depending on your ingredients and individual tastes. Spoon or brush your chicken breasts evenly with the mustard-garlic mixture.

PROTIP: I like to use a lightly coated piece of foil to line my baking sheet, simply to minimize cleanup.

Your next step? Grill (or broil) chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. As with all poultry, you want an internal temperature of 165 degrees (salmonella is not your friend!). So keep an eye on that timer or thermometer, and stay close. In just a few minutes, you'll have a meal of tangy deliciousness.

All that's left is to pick your side! I tend to consume any carbs I have earlier in the day, so my body can utilize them for energy, as they are intended! So for me, dinner usually looks like this: protein + vegetable. For our meal, we went with some green beans to offset this yummy centerpiece. 5 minutes, of prep, 10 minutes to cook, 1 happy family.

In my challenge groups, I focus on giving you the tools to be successful with your meal plan, not only during the group but for life! we want lasting lifestyle changes-- and that doesn't mean starving or eating foods that don't taste good! We share recipes like this, along with motivation and support as we work through some amazing workouts. Want to join us? Message me! I have a group starting soon!

And one more thing I know you're wondering-- the NUTRITION! Now, if you know me, you know I don't calories, i follow the portion fix containers that make it easy for me to know how much of what to eat. If you follow that plan, you're looking at one red and 1 1/2 teaspoons per serving. Not too shabby! And if you aren't doing that plan, here's the old fashioned info: 

• Calories: 199 
• Total Fat: 10g 
• Carbohydrates: 2g 
• Protein: 24g

Perfect if you are following a ketogenic diet, a low carb lifestyle, or just plain like good food! And if you decide to make it, let me know what you think-- I'd love to hear from you! And if you're looking for support on your fitness journey, reach out. I'm here! As always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda