How I make my daily Shakeology!

I've been a fan of Shakeology for years and I've tried to find a comparison and just have not been able to.  I never drank it daily as intended but I started drinking Shakeology daily about 2.5 months ago now as a personal "challenge" to see what all the hype was about first hand. 
I've always been very interested in nutrition and what I put in my body but I wasn't expecting all the benefits that came along with drinking this shake daily! 
Since starting to drink it daily, I've noticed:
1) Reduced cravings for sweets 2) Reduced cravings for caffeine 3) Improved digestion and regularity (big issue for me in the past) 4) Improved SLEEP! (HUGE issue for me in the past) 5) Increased focus and stamina during long work hours 6) More glowing skin!  7) Dry scalp no longer an issue! (embarrassing but true!)
To learn more about what Shakeology is visit: Shakeology

My Thoughts on the

The Ketosis Diet aka " Keto-Diet" Fad:

I'm sure you have heard of this new diet fad, know someone who has peed on a stick to "check their ketones", or maybe you have tried ketosis yourself....and if you haven't, you are about to learn more about it! 

*Now I'm sure my post will upset those who swear by ketosis. I'm not doubting that it can be done in moderation,  safely, and with great success for some...but the following is my personal opinion and based on the medical knowledge I have as a family nurse practitioner who currently specializes in urology. 

What is Ketosis?

 When our bodies don't have glucose from carbohydrates available to burn for energy, we can break down fat, in the form of ketone bodies, to burn for energy. Think of it as the body's defense mechanism in case there's no food  available for us to remain alive. 

But while in a state of ketosis, your body not only burns your fat, it can begin to burn your muscle (that you worked pretty hard for I’m sure) down for fuel also.

Muscle is what increases your metabolism and burns more unwanted fat so you definitely do NOT want to burn muscle!  

Your heart is also a muscle, hence why these diets have been linked to heart problems…..and your heart is the most important muscle you've got!

The Ketosis Diet may help you drop pounds quickly (although the majority of that is probably due to water weight), if you stay in this state of Ketosis, you become very tired and your body can enter starvation mode!

What happens in starvation mode?!

Our bodies are pretty amazing and one of the main things our bodies do is protect us. If your body is “starving”, guess what it’s going to store as protection?! FAT!..and guess what it doesn't want you to do?! Lose weight/fat!!

Another consequence of Ketosis is that in that state, our bodies have the potential to become very acidic which leads to many healthy problems. Now many argue that the level of ketones in nutritional ketosis will never create the pH imbalances that occur in diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis or DKA, is a very serious condition that diabetics can suffer from. When someone has diabetes, they either do not make insulin (type 1), or their cells become desensitized to insulin from years of very high blood sugar, such that overtime the insulin that is secreted doesn't work like it should (Type 2).

*Think of it as a lock and a key.  Insulin is the key to unlock our cells and allow the glucose (sugar) to enter for energy.

In DKA, diabetics’ body cells become so starved that the person experiences a host of medical problems and can actually enter a diabetic COMA!

OK back to Keto-Diet….

Now, in a person who makes insulin normally, should have a well functioning negative feedback mechanism, which therefore should keep them from building up a high enough level of ketones in their blood stream to cause the acidity that leads a diabetic down the road of severe problems associated with DKA.

Those of us with a normally functioning pancreas that secretes insulin as it should are said to be in “Nutritional Ketosis”.

My Issues with the Keto Diet:

Being in a state of "Nutritional Ketosis" claims that we will lose weight since our bodies will not be using glucose as fuel but will switch to using fat. And although it's been shown to be beneficial for short term weight loss, I just can't see this as a healthy weight-loss plan as it's way too hard (and potentially damaging) to sustain!

While eating a “high protein, no carb” diet isn't all that bad for a healthy person on occasion, there are known health problems associated with eating this way long term!

First off, as mentioned already above, you cannot survive in a state of “starvation” (I’m talking cellular). Even if it’s not going to cause the high acidic levels to create the problems that those with diabetes will suffer in ketosis, eating in a way that for most, is not going to be sustainable long term for most people, which just sets them up for weight gain later!!

 Secondly, eating a very high protein diet (esp animal protein) can also be very hard on the kidneys (I work in urology!), can increase the formation of kidney stones (ouch!), and Ketosis very often causes BAD BREATH!!!!! 

Eating a diet very high in animal proteins CAN create an acidic state in our bodies and to combat this acidity, our body pulls Calcium (acid buffer) from our bones to neutralize this state which can weaken the bones! 

Thirdly, many people who choose to follow the Keto-Diet often consume unhealthy foods that are high in animal fats and cholesterol simply because they are high in protein or low in carbohydrates. 

Ok, so you may fit into that pair of jeans this week, but you’ll have bad breath, be in pain from kidney stones, and once you go back to eating normally, gain all that weight back….Sound like a plan for success????

I’m sorry to sound like a HATER and I’m in NO way saying go out and eat all the carbs in the world, but in my personal opinion living in an unnatural state where your body is having to work to protect you is not a great long term weight loss plan. 

It's one thing to give up bread, but I just can't wrap my head around eliminating an entire macro-nutrient category (carbohydrates) from the diet as a healthy or sustainable plan. I believe that nutrition is a balance of micro and macro nutrients that work together. 

I think I'll stick to my balanced whole food diet with lots of plant based foods (that do have carbs) and protein...and I'll leave you to decide what works best for you!

Adrenal Fatigue!

Do you sip on multiple cups of coffee per day?

Do you drink energy drinks often?

Does the Starbucks barrista know you by name? 

If you answered YES to any of the above No Judgement!!

I am guilty as well! I've become a lot more aware of the effects that excess caffeine consumption has on our endocrine system and I've been working to break this bad habit! I'll explain to you why consuming excess caffeine may actually be keeping you from losing that unwanted belly fat!  

I've been a morning coffee drinker since high school and during college I became very much into energy drinks! I was actually a rep for one of the major energy drink brands. I had mountains of this stuff in my apartment and I would promote it to other college kids and drink it pretty much daily myself!

Let's be honest, Caffeine is the EASIEST drug to get your hands on...It's everywhere these days!! There's literally a Starbucks on almost every corner in some cities, every gas station is stocked full of energy drinks, and there's no age limit to purchase these beverages. 

You'd think after drinking coffee in the morning and energy drinks during the day that I'd be full of energy right?!....WRONG! 

I was always tired despite the fact that I was consuming all of this caffeine! I actually took it a step further and started taking caffeine pills as well to try to gain more energy. Guess what?? I was STILL TIRED!

When I started my first job as a nurse practitioner I was working 12+ hour days in surgery. My daily espresso shots were the only thing getting me through these long days (or so I believed!). I would get a temporary energy from them, but left work feeling completely depleted and I wasn't sleeping well at all!

I'm so happy I've been able to kick this habit and I'm leaving work with way more energy than before (I'll share how I'm doing it below). 

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you not drink Coffee!! Coffee is great! Caffeine in moderation has been linked to many health benefits and can increase your metabolism. I still have a cup of coffee every morning and an energy drink on occasion. 

Moderation is the key word, however, and after realizing I was I was doing to my adrenal glands, I've cut way back...and now I can get through the day without abusing caffeine and without being always TIRED! I've also had a lot of help by adding in a superfood nutritional shake every day. This has really helped me cut down on my caffeine cravings and those daily espresso shots!

Adrenal Fatigue is Real:

The adrenal glands are small glands that sit above your kidneys. I'll save you the science lesson but basically they secrete hormones such as: Cortisol (regulates stress), Adolsterone (regulates blood pressure), and adrenaline (fight or flight).

When your body is stressed, the hormones secreted by these glands help protect and allow your body to better cope with stress. With over consumption of caffeine, your basically putting your body in a chronic state of stress and your endocrine system works overtime to combat that stress. 

You may just be sitting at your desk calmly working, but with too much coffee on board, your adrenal glands are pumping out norepinephrine and epinephrine in fight or flight mode. These hormones set off a chain of events that can actually work against you if you're trying to lose weight. 
They stimulate the liver to release stored glucose for energy (to fight or to flight), which then stimulates insulin secretion to lower the blood sugar level, which then leaves you feel more tired. Now add in a sugary energy drink or sugar in coffee and the body has to work even harder and produce more insulin to combat the sugar intake. 

When you keep going and going without rest, don't you feel exhausted?!?!....well that's how your endocrine system feels after being taxed day in and day out with excess caffeine! It never gets a chance to relax and your body's in a constant state of stress. We all know that stress leads to excess belly fat and cravings!

Caffeine is also a diuretic, meaning it causes you to lose more water from your body. Dehydration can also cause you to feel tired, groggy, and sluggish. 
Caffeine also interferes with our sleep, which again helps us to have more natural energy during the day and helps us to combat weight gain. 

So while our intentions may to stay alert, get more work done, and gain more energy to be more efficient....we're actually wearing down our body's amazing system and leaving ourselves in an even bigger Energy Crisis!!

Some of the most common symptoms of adrenal fatigue include:

• Feeling tired when waking up after a long night's sleep
• Feeling groggy or mentally foggy during the day
• Craving sweat or salty foods
• Feeling a lack of energy for most of the day
• Only feeling energy in the evenings or at night
• Getting sick more often, or taking longer to recover from sickness or stress

The Struggle is REAL but you can get yourself out of adrenal fatigue!

• Start by eliminating excess forms of caffeine slowing during your day 
• Replace caffeinated beverages with water!
• Include more nutrient-dense foods in your daily diet (Superfoods Have Helped Me!)
• Try to get more sleep (this will become easier with improved diet and less caffeine over time!)
• Do some form of daily physical activity or exercise (but don't over do it! Over training can leave you in a state of fatigue also)

I know this seems easier said than done and caffeine addiction is real! Headaches are common with decreasing caffeine but it will pass over a few days.

I've been able to cut way down on my daily caffeine with the help of a daily Superfood nutritional shake (Learn More Here). 

It's helped me in curbing my caffeine cravings during the day, it's helping me sleep better at night which has been a HUGE struggle for me in the past, and it's giving me a natural type of energy that gets me through my day. 

So next time you're thinking about popping that energy drink can or driving through your favorite coffee spot, I CHALLENGE you to choose water instead! 

Be Kind To Your Body, And It Will Be Kind Back :)

-Sara 

What's for dinner?!....

How About Tex-Mex Pitas! 

I have 3 key criteria for what makes a GREAT dinner:

1) Is it easy/quick to make? 

• Those who know me well know I'm not much of a "cook" and my weeks are SUPER BUSY!

2) Is it Tasty? 

•  I think this is a no brainier for anyone's dinner...
• This one completely hit that mark!

3) Is it Healthy? 

• Yes, I'm a health nut
• I love colorful dishes
• I love anything that resembles Mexican food! :)

I whipped these bad boys up tonight in literally  10 mins.....and they were De-LISH! I got my Tex-Mex fix in guilt free tonight! 

These are also very Budget-Friendly! So NO EXCUSES for you guys who think eating healthy is too expensive!

Ingredients:

-Diced Tomatoes

-Corn (I used low-sodium canned corn)

-Black Beans (low-sodium canned)

-Fresh Cilantro 

-Avocado 

-Whole-Wheat Pita Pocket


-**Non-Vegan Options!

•  Add in low fat cheese if you like cheese!
• Add in ground turkey meat with low-sodium taco seasoning 
• Add in sliced chicken 
• Add in Fajita-style steak 

How TO Assemble:

These are literally soooo easy to make it's ridiculous! 

-Mix black beans, corn, and tomatoes in a Tupperware (HINT - you can use these as your healthy lunch all week!)

-Break up cilantro leaves and add into the mix

-Scoop desired amount into whole-wheat pita pockets

-Add in slices of avocado to the top

ENJOY! 

What Are SuperFoods Anyways??

You've probably heard the term SuperFoods thrown around a lot lately and although it sounds great....maybe you're wondering what these so called "SUPER" foods actually do to make them so special??

I've personally had a passion for nutrition for years now and I do believe in the healing powers that foods can have....the problem is in our modern society, "natural" and unprocessed foods are hard to come by! 

I've recently started drinking a daily shake that is packed full of over 70 SuperFoods and the differences I'm noticing are pretty SUPER! I really tested my SuperFood shake this week when I started to come down with a cold a few days ago. I know colds are pretty benign but let me tell you, I HATE COLDS!! They make me feel so groggy and awful. So at the first sign of a sore throat, I started drinking more of my SuperFood shake and had it daily......fast forward 3 days...Cold's GONE! Ok...Maybe there is something to these SuperFoods!

So what is a SuperFood?

SuperFoods are foods that come from all over the globe and do more than just provide us with calories. In fact, most are very low in calories yet extremely dense in nutrient content. They feed our bodies on a cellular level and help to boost our immune system and are full of antioxidants that fight off free radicals.

Free radicals are released during a process called oxidation. Free radicals are very damaging to our body's cells, worsen our allergies, speed up the aging process, and have even been shown to promote cancer! 

Some examples of SuperFoods that are antioxidants include:

• Blueberries, Acai berries, Acerola cherry, Camu-camu, Goji berries, Pomegranate, Rose hips, Luo han guo, Grade seed, Green tea

What are Phytonutrients??

Phytonutrients are another nutrient category that many SuperFoods fall into as well. These foods are plant derived and support our health in many different ways. 

They help support our body by:

• Strengthening our immune system
• Help Detox the body
• Promote an ideal Alkaline state in our system
• Promote a healthy aging process

Foods that contain phytonutrients include:

• Moringa, Chlorella, Spirulina, Spinach, Barely Grass, Kamut Grass, Oat Grass, and Wheatgrass

All About Adaptogens Herbs:

The name alone suggests that foods in this category help us to "Adapt" and this is true. These herbs may not sound as familiar to you but their properties are pretty amazing!

 These include things like:

• Astragalus, Ashwagandha, ginko leaf, holy basil leaf, maca root, maitake mushroom, reishi mushroom

What do these do??

• Strengthen our immune system
• Support healthy endocrine function (think thyroid)
• Help our bodies to cope with environmental stress
• increase energy and stamina naturally (thanks maca!)
• Clear our minds and allow for better cognitive function
• Promote a state of calmness

Probiotics and Prebiotics:

In addition to these amazing  Superfoods and SuperGrasses/Herbs, Pro & Prebiotics are also very important to helping optimize our body functions

Why We Need Probiotics: 

Bacillus or Lactobacillus are GOOD bacteria....wait good bacteria?? 

Yes!! There is TONS of bacteria that live in our gut and intestines and help us with digestion and help our immune system. 

These GOOD bacteria are necessary for cleaning out our system which can build up toxins over time (thanks to lots of chemicals and processed food!). 

Without the Good bacteria, the bad bugs can take over and this can cause GI upset, gas, bloating...Despite exercising! So keep your stomach happy and make sure to get a good dose of these good bacteria!

What are Prebiotics?

PRObiotics need PREbiotics to feed them and help them thrive! 

One amazing plant that is full of Prebiotics is the Yacon Root, in fact it has the greatest amount of prebiotics of any plant in the world!

This bad boy is great for promoting good digestion and keeping our immune system in tip top shape!

This all sounds great....but where do I find these exotic ingredients in my grocery store??

Unfortunately, in our modern society it's EXTREMELY difficult to find these powerful Superfoods and get enough of them to actually see a benefit. 

You could go to a health food store and buy various supplements or you can get them all in ONE BAG! 

Shakeology has all of these SuperFoods, Amino Acids, Essential Proteins, Pro & Prebiotics, Adaptogen Herbs, and Antioxidants!

I've tried to find a comparable but I can't seem to find one that exists...

Another amazing fact about these shakes is that the SuperFoods are preserved in their whole food state and very minimally processed down to create the powder form of the drink. This preserves the nutrient content and gives your body the whole-food nutrients rather than simply a derived or extracted product that lacks all of the goodness. 

Since getting more of these SuperFoods in my daily diet, I've noticed the following:

• WAY Better digestion/Regularity (I've had IBS for years!)
• Much more focus and mental clarity at work
• More daily energy! (I was addicted to red bull prior, no more!)
• SLEEP!!! 

Sleep is HUGE for me!...I was going nights without sleeping due to stress and anxiety and I've been taking sleeping aides for the last 3+ years with little benefit and that left me feeling groggy the next day. 

After about 5 days of drinking my Shakeolgoy, I started to sleep soundly WITHOUT meds! I've been drinking it now for the last 2.5 months and I haven't had a night of insomnia and only used sleeping aides ONE TIME!

I have to say...once you FEED your body right...it does amazing things for you!

My Daily Dose of SuperFoods!

Whether you get your SuperFoods from supplements, whole foods, or Shakeology, it doesn't matter to me but if you are interested in learning more about this amazing product that's helped me and many others I know CLICK BELOW!

-Sara Petrucci

My Go-To Clean Eating Weekly Recipe!


So I'm a nurse practitioner with a HUGE passion for nutrition and fitness. Two of the biggest challenges I have is the fact that I'm not a very good cook & I live a pretty busy life! I had the luxury of growing up to amazingly healthy home-cooked meals every night (Thank You MOM!) but let's be honest...I don't have much time to play around in the kitchen!

I love simple, non-processed ingredients but I also want a dinner that's a little more exciting than just plain chicken and broccoli....

That's why I created this healthy meal! It serves 3 main purposes really...1) It's full of healthy & simple ingredients so I can eat clean! 2) It literally takes me 15 mins to make and 3) It makes enough so that I have meals all week long (again saving me valuable time!).  Just what every fit girl on the go needs!

Ingredients:

-Organic Ground Turkey Meat

-Organic low-sodium canned tomatoes (x2 if you love tomatoes like me)

-Organic low sodium canned black beans

-Diced Onion

-Olive oil

-Spinach leaves

-Zucchini

-whatever other veggies or legumes you want! Sometimes I'll add in portobello mushrooms, or chickpeas, etc.

Directions:

-I start by dicing up the onions and cutting up the zucchini or whatever else I'm going to use.
 -Then I start with a few drizzles of olive oil in a big skillet pan and brown the ground turkey meat on medium heat for about 12 mins or until brown.
-In a separate smaller skillet, I brown the diced onions and you can add the zucchini in also as that takes longer to cook again on medium heat
-After the meat is browned, I start adding in the canned tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, or whatever other canned ingredients I'm going to use (I pour out the water from the cans but I leave the tomato juice and a small amount of the black bean juice just to make it more of a chili consistency)
-I I let those start to warm and then I add the entire bag (or 2) of spinach leaves and let the steam form the skillet wilt the spinach down. *You may have to start with smaller amounts until it wilts and then add more*
- Lastly I add in the zucchini and onions to the mix and just put it on low heat to mix it all together.
-Optional - at times I've used a small drizzle of balsamic or added fresh garlic with the onions in the begging but you don't need to. The onions give it such a great flavor alone!

Let it cool a little and serve in a bowl. I like to let the juices from the tomatoes stay in the mix so it's almost like a chili consistency.
Then pour the rest into a big Tupperware for the rest of the week's diners or lunches!

 Easy to grab and go for a healthy lunch or stay on track when you come home tired and don't feel inspired!