Protein Power Bites

These tasty little snacks are delicious and nutritious! They pack a punch and are perfect if you are on the go and need something in a pinch. Each little bit packs the nutrients your body needs, and it's all natural. Make sure the dates and cranberries are unsweetened to reduce the sugar content ;)

Ingredients:

• 1.75 cups Vanilla Protein Powder (I used soy, but you can used any other plant-based powder, such as hemp)
• 2/3 cup Flax Seeds
• 2/3 cup Chia Seeds
• 2/3 cup Hemp Hearts
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
• 2/3 c chopped Dates
• 1.25 cup Organic Almond Butter
• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds

Directions:

1. Grind the flax seeds, hemp hearts, nuts and chia seeds in a blender or coffee grinder. Be careful that the blended mix does not get too warm, because it will damage the delicate fats found in these ingredients.

2. Combine everything in a bowl and mix it well. I had to use my hands make sure the almond butter and honey coated everything. Adjust the almond butter and honey ratio as needed to make it “sticky”. You don’t want it overly sticky, just enough that you could form it into a ball.

3. Using your hands, form the mixture into 1″ balls, and refrigerate. Keep them in the fridge to keep them solid – and voila! The recipe makes about 35 little one-inch bites.

Each bite contains:

• 11g of Carbohydrates
• 7 g of Protein
• 8 g of Fats (healthy fats!)

They are pretty much the perfect snack!! 

xoxo,

Leigh

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash
• 2 Cans Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 1 Can Coconut Milk (Lite if you want)
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 Large Carrot, chopped
• 2 Stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• 2 TBSP Red Curry Paste
• 1 TBSP Ginger Root
• 1 TSP Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Cut Squash in half, and remove seeds. Place halves face down in a baking dish with about 1.5" of water in the bottom.
3. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes, until tender.
4. While Squash is baking, heat oil in a soup pot.
5. Sauté the onion, carrots and celery until onion is translucent. Add Thyme, Salt and Pepper, ginger root and curry paste and quickly stir. Using a large blender, blend the mixture with 1 can of broth and coconut milk, then return the mixture to the soup pot and bring to simmer.
6. When the squash is cooked, scoop the squash into the blender and add second can of broth. Blend until smooth, and return the mixture to the soup pot. Stir it all together and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!!

The Power in Numbers

I get so excited about sharing my love for fitness with people, so when someone reaches out and shares it with another – I am elated! Sahar and Ruby are clients of mine, they are cousins, and great friends. Sahar began training with me this January, and soon enrolled Ruby to sweat along with her so that she could spread the love and have better accountability. The moral of the story - grab your pack and go the journey together!

These girls share candidly what it’s like for them to start a journey in fitness:

Introduce yourself, and your background with fitness!

S: My name is Sahar, and I work in customer service to save money for medical school, which I am starting in the fall. I have not had that much of a history with fitness. Gym class in grade school is as close as I have been to being active.

R: I am Ruby and I just graduated from medical school. The stress and commitment of school caused my weight to yo-yo. I was always stuck between hours of grueling studying, which led to stress eating, followed by panic induced crash diets. I have tried every trendy diet: HCG, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Dr. Bernstiens, all with only temporary success. Physical activity was limited to things such as the elliptical, boxing & martial arts classes, ballet and yoga. While they certainly had their benefits, strength training with Leigh makes me feel stronger than ever.

Q: Why did you seek out a personal trainer?

S: I was always the “fat girl”. Just like Ruby, I have tried numerous times to lose weight and be healthy but always failed. I would lose a few pounds here or there but never made lasting change. What really got me on this path was two years ago I was at my biggest and feeling really down. To help me, my brother asked advice from a VERY good friend of his (AKA LEIGH J), to support me to make some changes. Leigh advised my brother to check out a Calgary-based weight loss coaching company (Fit Metabolism) that would teach me the right lifestyle changes I needed to be successful. It was very difficult, but I was successful in losing 70 lbs, without exercise! Now my weight loss has plateaued, and I want to feel strong, so I asked my brother about training with Leigh.

R: Personally, I was Tired of punishing myself when I lost control of my weight. So I decided to get fit, not just for big events, for everyday life.  And Sahar couldn’t stop talking about her trainer, so how could I not join up?

Q: What changes have you noticed so far, and how do they feel?

S: I am very hard on myself and until I see what I want (my big goal) I see nothing. After the initial 70 lbs, I have lost 7 more with Leigh, and more than 3 inches. I know I feel A LOT better. Adopting this lifestyle has given both Ruby and I more energy, and has made a difference in our physical fitness level. We both feel strong and more confident with being ourselves, considering Leigh makes us work hard enough that our make-up runs down our faces  (and we used to care, but have learned it's futile)...

Personal Training...has taught me what an effective workout feels like

Q: What is still challenging for you?

S: Sticking to it is the most challenging. I want to see change immediately, and it’s hard to resist temptation of being lazy, or eating what I know I not to eat. But it’s worth it in the end, and it gets easier when I am reinforced by my clothes getting loose. I’ve learned to see when my portions are off, and how to plan out my week if there is a birthday coming up that I want to share with someone! All the so-called “sacrifice” is worth it when I put my clothes on and am told I look pretty darn good!

R. The hardest part is watching my diet and controlling my stress eating. The trick Leigh taught me was to journal all my food and it works great.

Q: What have you enjoyed about the personal training?

S: I FINALLY FEEL SORE AFTER WORKING OUT!!! But really, it has taught me what an effective workout feels like. I have been doing squats for years, and have never done them right until now. It helps with the way my body feels too. Slowly and surely my body is going from “mushy” to hard – and that motivates me. When I have done a good workout I feel much more motivated to keep doing what I’m doing and not go home and eat cheesecake.

 R: I love it! Having a friend to work out with is a lot more fun. Leigh really motivates you and gives you the confidence to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Now I feel that my body has the potential to do many "uncomfortable" things, I never thought I would be able to do.

Q: Where are you at in your journey?

S: I’m still continuing with my first goal and getting to my goal weight. Leigh and Ruby have been a great support system. She is changing my body slowly, and getting me to where I need to be, at a sustainable pace. And I know that with her help I will reach where I want to be and keep it there!

R: Currently, with Leigh and Sahar’s support, I am trying to get stronger. I also would like to train myself to feed my body right, rather than punish it with poor choices.

 Q:  What do you love about working out with a friend? 

S: It’s super fun! We motivate each other and provide support, even when we are both being tortured by Leigh! But it has become something we look forward to. I get to kill two birds with one stone: hanging out with my friends and getting girl talk three times a week with a hard workout!

 R: It is definitely nice to know that someone else is struggling through the same battle as you. That sense of community gives me the second wind when I feel like giving up. We are both so motivated to achieve our goals, we are able to go out to restaurants and share meals that fit our daily food plans. It is great to be on the same page, and have someone support what you are doing, instead of sabotaging it! No one wants to hide in the corner with bags full of lettuce and celery. I would recommend having a workout friend to anyone. It's like having a teammate!

We will definitely continue our journey together, and keep you posted as to our progress!