The FACTS. Don't be another statistic!!!

THIS is what is in EACH Shakeology shake and what it would cost to buy it all separate! 

( this is just the fresh whole food ingredients! Not counting all the Vitamins, minerals, and protein!)

 The price tag on Shakeology may seem high, but when you break it down to your daily cost of $4, it is WELL WORTH the money. Shakeology only uses all natural whole food ingredients to deliver the most nutrition possible.


So while you're paying about $6 for your Big Mac Meal ( medium sized) and getting Little to no value for your body , you could be prepared and have Shakeology on hand! 


This is the nutritional info for a Big Mac, med fry, and med Coke.

Calories	1130	Cholesterol	75mg (25%)
Calories from Fat	430	Sodium	1320mg (55%)
Total Fat	48g (74%)	Total Carbs	151g (50%)
Saturated Fat	13g (63%)	Dietary Fiber	8g (32%)
Trans Fat	1.5g	Sugars	67g

* 1130 calories are most of what you need in an ENTIRE DAY, HIGH in fat- the artery clogging kind, carbs should be about 30g per meal! NOT 151g!!! ( Terrible for your sugar levels, this is why diabetes and Heart Disease is so HUGE!)  




So keep on eating the way you do, continue not taking care of your body, think you're invincible, and become another statistic because YOU were CARELESS. 

• Every 34 seconds a  person in the United States dies from heart disease.
• More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each day.
• Every 20 seconds, a person in the United States has a heart attack.

Diabetes affects 25.8 million people of all ages
8.3 percent of the U.S. population

DIAGNOSED
18.8 million people

UNDIAGNOSED
7.0 million people

OR.... GET UP, MAKE CHANGES,

AND TAKE HOLD OF YOUR 


FUTURE!!!  

Reset your priorities. Your health is much more important than any material thing. Cut out the things that don't allow you the finances for better eating and a way of life. Make it IMPORTANT, because it is.

It's not too late, make changes NOW, For you and your future generations!

If you'd like some help, some direction, or someone to help you make those changes and accomplish your health goals, I'd LOVE to help you! I'll coach you for FREE! Just click here and join the free membership:

http://beachbodycoach.com/melissameans

To learn more about shakeology or to order please click here:

http://myshakeology.com/melissameans 

Trail Mix!

Clean Eating Trail Mix! Here's a healthy snack to pre-pack! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups raw peanuts
• 4 oz dried fruit (raisin, cherries, blueberries, apricots – any dried fruit will work – just be sure to read the label and avoid any with added sugar!)
• 1 1/2 cups roasted and unsalted cashews
• 1 cup roasted and unsalted sunflower seeds
• 4 oz dry roasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups roasted and unsalted almonds
• you can even add dark chocolate chips... I do! ;)

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Store in an airtight container or separate into snack sized bags and store in a dry and cool place.

*Separating this into small snack bags is a great way to pre-plan your snacks for the week and to limit yourself from eating the entire container in one sitting ;) 

Why nuts???

•       Almonds – Almonds are a good source of protein, vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 , and phosphorus. Almonds are also concentrated in protein; a quarter-cup contains more protein than the typical egg. Although one-quarter cup of almonds contains about 18 grams of fat, most of it (11 grams) is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Eating almonds can lower bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, provide protection against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, boost energy, and help prevent gallstones. Whole almonds (with skins) provide the most heart-healthy benefits. 

• Cashews – Cashews are high in antioxidants and have a lower fat content than most other nuts; additionally, 75 percent of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids.  Eating cashews promotes good cardiovascular health, even in individuals with diabetes.
   
• Peanuts – Peanuts are a good source of heart-healthy monosaturated fat, antioxidants,& folate, making them heart-healthy, a good way to reduce your risk of stroke, and possibly even cancer. Peanuts are also a good source of vitamin B3 (niacin), folate, copper, manganese, and protein, and are a significant source of resveratrol, a chemical studied for potential ANTI-AGING ( yes please!) effects.. Peanuts and peanut butter may also help prevent gallstones and protect against Alzheimer's disease. It wise to ensure that peanuts, especially raw ones, are stored in a cool, dry, environment (such as a refrigerator or freezer), as an extremely toxic and highly dangerous fungus (aflatoxin) can easily grow on peanuts when the temperature is between 86-96°F and humidity is high.
   
• Pumpkin seeds / pepitas – Eating the green, hulled, pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) may promote prostate health, protection for men's bones, anti-inflammatory benefits for those with arthritis, and help lower cholesterol. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of the essential fatty acids, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper, protein, and vitamin K.
   

"It's about being healthy,overcoming your fears, and conquering your goals!"

Meet Jen!

I've known Jen for years now, from church, at Heritage Family Fellowship, where my family goes and we went when we lived in Riverside and still consider our church! 

Jen is a mommy to Taj Keoni who turned 3 this year! ( Isn't he a little stud?!)

After having Taj, she knew she needed to lose the 75 lbs she had gained during her pregnancy. After a year of walking and jogging, she dropped the weight and decided it was time to TONE-UP!

She got some advice and direction from a friend, who happens to be a bodybuilder ( awesome) and started her journey to toning up and building a whole new her! 

With encouragement from friends she decided to do her first fitness competition. She had a meal plan drawn up and worked her butt off!

Her transformation is nothing short of AMAZING!!!  

Jen is an incredible example of hard work and determination! 

Jen placed 2nd at The Tournament of Champions 9/10/11     :)

She says it best...

"For me, this journey has been about 3 years! It's not about being a size 2 or 110lbs.

It's about being healthy, overcoming your fears, and conquering your goals!"

"Remember, NO goal is too high and YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK!"

"_with God all things are possible!" 

Matthew 19:26

Thank you, Jen , for allowing me to share your amazing transformation and encouraging words! <3

8 Tips to Navigate the Grocery Store! Clean eating By Kati Heifner!

My fellow Bombshell Dynasty Coach and Friend, Kati Heifner wrote this Great article, I had to share it! 

"I grocery shop every Sunday. It's just become part of my routine. I feel like I need to pick another day because...I don't know if you got the memo...but EVERYONE shops on Sunday! As I was shopping, it really made me realize and remember just how hard the grocery store is to navigate  Sometimes when I walk in there, I feel like I'm being bombarded with lies and manipulation!! That place can be evil! Unless you know the rules....Buyer beware because it's incredibly easy to be tricked into buying something you think is healthy! "

1. Rule number one: Buy fresh food! There is no simpler, no easier, no plainer measure of the healthiness of your food than whether it comes in boxes and cans or is fresh from the farm or the fields. If more than half your groceries are prepared foods, then you need to evolve your cooking and eating habits back to the healthy side by picking up more fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, juices, and dairy.

2. Shop the perimeter of the store. That’s where all the fresh foods are. The less you find yourself in the central aisles of the grocery store, the healthier your shopping trip will be. Make it a habit — work the perimeter of the store for the bulk of your groceries, then dip into the aisles for staples that you know you need.

3. Think of the departments (dairy, produce, meat, and so on) as separate stores within the supermarket. You wouldn’t shop at every store at a mall the same way, would you? You know better than to idly browse through a jewelry store, don’t you? So apply the same approach to the grocery store. Target the sections that are safe to browse through — the produce section, primarily — and steer clear of the dangerous sections (the candy, ice cream, and potato chip aisles).

4. Shop with a list. Organize your shopping list based on the tip above — that is, by the sections of the store. This will have you out of the supermarket at the speed of light. Shopping with a list has benefits beyond speed and spending. By lashing yourself to the discipline of a well-planned shopping list, you can resist the seductive call of aisle upon aisle of junk food, thereby saving your home, your family, and yourself from an overload of empty calories. My list SAVES me! Seriously, make one!

5. Food-shop with a full stomach. I'm sure you’ve heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating. Walking through the grocery store with your tummy growling can make you vulnerable to buying anything that isn’t moving. If you can’t arrange to shop shortly after a meal, be sure to eat an apple and drink a large glass of water before heading into the store.

6. Choose prepared foods with short ingredient lists. I don’t expect you to cut out prepared foods entirely. Just remember: The shorter the ingredient list, the healthier the food usually is. Of course, if the ingredients are sugar and butter, put the item back on the shelf.

Ok, so I wanted to get some tomato paste to make chili. For some reason I was under the impression that tomato paste was.....wait for it.....JUST TOMATOES. Not so my friends! Good thing I checked the label! Look at the difference! What is all of this crap??

7. Reject foods and drinks made with corn syrup. Corn syrup is a calorie-dense, nutritionally empty sweetener perhaps even worse than refined sugar. A shocking number of foods and drinks are thick with it, including such apparently healthy foods as fruit juices, premade spaghetti sauces, and even bread. Some experts argue that corn syrup is one of the main causes of America’s obesity problem. If a food has corn syrup in its first four ingredients, then it lacks the wholesomeness and healthiness you want. Eeek! Even the name gives me the hee-bee jeebies!

8. Confirm that a wheat bread is whole wheat. Some of the folks selling bread are trying to pull the wool (or is it wheat chaff?) over your eyes. Sure, a wheat bread is made from wheat. But if the first ingredient is refined wheat flour, then it’s made from the same wheat as white bread — which means, stripped of fiber and nutrients, and in some cases, dyed brown for a fake healthy appearance. What you’re really looking for are the words “100% whole wheat.” That’s the stuff with minimum refining and maximum beneficial nutrients. Sneaky marketing can get ya !

Cinnabon Shakeology

SO if you love cinnamon rolls like I do.... You are definitely drooling right now.....


Well I am about to ruin your day dream of this juicy little deliciousness. Did you know that the Classic Cinnabon Roll has 813 calories, 32g of FAT, 117 of CARBS, and 803g of sodium?!?!? I can only imagine what that is doing to your blood glucose levels. Maybe we should rename these DIABETES Makers.


It's no huge shocker, but it is a good reality check before ordering one of these suckers. 


I do have a MUCH healthier ,guilt free version, that your body will thank you for.  Here is my very own Cinnabon Shakeology recipe!

Recipe:
10 oz Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp imitation butter flavor
2 tbsp light cream cheese ( this adds the frosting taste! YUM)
1 packet of Stevia or Truvia 
1/2-3/4 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
ice to desired thickness 


Blend. Serve. ENJOY!!!


* you can add crushed pecans on the top


This shake really does taste like a delicious cinnamon roll <3 I hope you love it! 




If you'd like to know more about Shakeology, please see my Shakeology tab at the top of the page or order from www.myshakeology.com/melissameans 

Surround yourself with people who support your journey of becoming the YOU, you want to be!

How to Eat Clean!

How To Convert Your Pantry To Clean Eating

by THE GRACIOUS PANTRY 

I thought this would be a great article to share, from The Gracious Pantry. Many of you might be asking "What is Clean Eating?" and "How do you do it?" Well.. Here it is! :)

One of the problems I had when I started eating clean was my incredibly, junk-food-filled pantry. There was just nothing I didn’t have in there! From candy bars, to white rice and pasta, I had it! Far from the modeling “diet” I followed in my teens.

Now I admit, I didn’t go through and toss everything so I could start from scratch in one day. Switching my pantry contents to 100% clean foods was a challenge, and I just didn’t have the money to start from scratch all at once. So what did I do?

Every week, I chose one food to replace. Out went the candy bars and in came the protein bars. In a few months, my pantry was…. perfect!

So what clean foods should you buy to replace what’s in your pantry now?

Whole What?
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is easily substituted in most recipes calling for white flour. It’s cheapest to purchase it in bulk at your local health food store. (You’ll need to find another alternative if you are gluten sensitive). As far as I know, this is the finest “grind” of whole wheat flour you can buy.

Beans, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you…
Whether you like them canned or cooked from scratch at home, be sure you have plenty of these on hand in a broad variety. They are nutrition powerhouses and are very easy on the wallet. Just be sure to read labels if you are buying canned beans. Many will have added sugar. Avoid these. The sugar is not necessary or part of a clean eating lifestyle. Some beans to try:

• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Pinto beans
• Adzuki beans
• Navy beans

The Wonderful World of Grains 
If you’ve only ever heard of wheat, oats and rice, you’re not alone. Many people don’t even realize the incredible list of healthy grains available to them. Long gone are the days when we had to make due with a few simple and well known grains. Today we have a veritable cornucopia of nutritious grains at our disposal. Here are just a few to get you started:

• Quinoa
• Brown Rice
• Barley
• Millet
• Farro
• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Kamut
• Oats – Steel cut is best

* I wanted to add to this*  When Choosing meats.... 

• Look for lean cuts. Certain cuts of meat and poultry are lower in fat. Lean cuts of beef include round, chuck, sirloin and tenderloin. Lean pork or lamb includes tenderloin, loin chops and leg. The leanest poultry is white meat from the breast with no skin.
• Check percentages. When buying ground beef, look for packages with the highest percentage of lean meat — 90 percent or higher.
• Watch the ground. Ground poultry can have as much fat as ground beef has, or more, because it often includes dark meat and skin. To make the leanest choice, choose ground breast meat, or look for low-fat ground chicken or turkey.
• Be selective. Choose beef that is labeled "Choice" or "Select" instead of "Prime," which usually has more fat. If you can't resist the higher fat choices, use them as an occasional indulgence rather than a regular option.

The Protein Channel?

No, TVP is not the latest cable channel. The letters stand for Textured Vegetable Protein. It’s a soy product that acts much like ground meat in a recipe. It comes in bulk or in packages at most health food stores. It’s a really nice change in your diet, even if you’re not vegetarian. Foods to use TVP in:

• Chili
• Tacos
• Burritos
• Casseroles
• Stews
• Soups

Moooooove Over Dairy!

If you are sensitive to dairy like I am, you have some fantastic alternatives available to you!

• Soy milk (Unsweetened)
• Almond milk (Unsweetened)
• Rice milk (Unsweetened)
• Hemp milk (Unsweetened)
• Hazelnut milk (Unsweetened)

Maybe The Squirrels Have It Right!

Nuts are wondrous little doo-dads and are a great addition to your eating plan in small amounts. The nutrients found in nuts are unequaled, and they really add a flavorful punch to anything you add them to. Some nuts to get you started are:

• Almonds – nothing added.
• Hazelnuts
• Walnuts
• Pecans

Do You Have A Sweet Tooth?

There are actually quite a few sweeteners allowed on a clean eating plan. In moderation, you can enjoy some sweet treats on a semi-regular basis!

• Agave
• Honey
• Rapadura
• Maple syrup
• Brown rice syrup
• Stevia

Extras - Some extras you should always have on hand are:

• Chia Seeds
• Flax Seed Meal
• Oat bran
• Wheat germ
• Bee pollen

So there you have it. It’s by no means a complete list, but it’s a place to start. When you go grocery shopping, just add fresh fruits and veggies to this list and you’ll be well on your way to better health!

for more info please check out one of my fav sites! @ http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/