Lemon Pepper Stirfry

Dinner in 30 minutes or less? Yes, please! Not only is this recipe quick & easy, it is healthy & delicious clean eating! 
*This recipe fed my family of 6.
-Sauté one small onion in 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Cut three large chicken breasts into bite-size cubes & add to the pan with onions. Season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. Squeeze the juice of one lemon overtop of the chicken.
- When the chicken is cooked thoroughly add one head of fresh broccoli and one large red bell pepper that has been chopped. Stir everything together and allow to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
* As an alternative to rice I served our stirfry on top of quinoa that I cooked with the same seasonings I had put into the stirfry.
**I also think this flavor combination with be AMAZING with shrimp.  

Click here to check out more of my family's favorite clean eating recipes! 

3-Day Shakeology Cleanse

Are you feeling a bit bloated & blah after the holidays?  Join the club!  If you are interested in giving your systems a clean sweep & getting a jump-start on your health & fitness goals for the New Year, a 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse may be just what you need.

Benefits of a 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse: 

-Rid your body of fat.

-Detoxify your body.

-Jump-start your weight loss & fitness routine

-Body rejuvenation.  

The 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse is a "performance" cleanse, meant to be done in conjunction with your regular exercise schedule & in conjunction with a healthy diet.  No wacky drinks of cayenne pepper & lemon juice hear - the 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse is simply a calorie restricted, nutrient-dense cleanse. This is not a "quick fix," but simply a jump-start for your system.  

While the 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse is designed to work in conjunction with your regular workout schedule, it is best to schedule it for a recovery week if you are doing an intense workout like P90X, TurboFire, or Insanity.  Your energy may be a bit decreased during the three days of the cleanse, due to the limited calories you are consuming, so if you feel you are not up to your regular workout, keep moving by doing some yoga or walking during your cleanse days.

So are you ready to lose between 3-10 lbs., get rid of extra bloating, and have your system feel refreshed?  Then you just may be ready to give the 3-Day Shakeology cleanse a shot.

I have personally lost up to 5 pounds in three days by following the schedule below:

Three Day Shakeology Cleanse

Want to learn more about your dense dose of daily nutrition?  Click here: www.myshakeology.com/JessHrbek

Click here for my favorite Shakeology recipes!

Check out my favorite Clean Eating Recipes here!

Check out my New Year, New You Challenge

How to Avoid Over-Indulging During the Holidays

OR

Happy Holidays!  This week is going to be filled with celebrations, traveling, family dinners, get-togethers with friends, & FOOD.  Lots & lots of food.  So how will you deal with the vast array of delectable temptations put before you this holiday?  Here are a few tips that will help you avoid over-stuffing your stocking:
*Make a meal plan!  You know you have a busy schedule between now & New Years, so take a few minutes today to plan out your meals & snacks, identify the events that will have the biggest temptations & build a plan of attack!  Schedule healthy meals & snacks for yourself, as well as planning your cheat meal (and let's be honest, this week it will most likely be more than one, so take it easy & don't go hog-wild!)

*Watch your portions.  There are going to be lots of tempting foods around you  - choose wisely & keep your portions reasonable.  Remember to fill at least half your plate with vegetables & fruits!  Fill up on the good, HEALTHY stuff!

*Bring a healthy option to share!  Check out some of my clean eating recipes and take a dish to share with your loved ones.  Then you can load up on something you know is healthy & minimize your portions of foods that will derail your progress.

*Drink lots of water!  People often confuse thirst for hunger.  Ideally you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water & being properly hydrated will help you avoid hunger pangs & keep you from grazing the appetizer table.  In that same vein - Don't drink your calories.  Alcohol, egg nog, soda...they may all be tasty treats, but those calories will add up quickly.  Choose your beverages wisely.

*Do not hang out by the food. Grab your water & your healthy snack & WALK AWAY FROM THE FOOD TABLE!  Socializing by the food table will lead to mindless grazing.  When dinner is over, help clear the table, do the dishes, play with the kids...do not hang out & keep picking away at the food.

*Beware of the dessert table!  This is my personal downfall.  I LOVE sweets & could easily go down the table sampling each & every delectable morsel.  But I know that all that extra sugar will just turn into belly fat...no thank you!  So I will plan my dessert wisely, carefully choosing the ONE dessert item to indulge in & I will keep my portion reasonable.  Then I will grab a mug of hot green tea & walk far, far away from the dessert table.

*Make your workouts a priority! You know you will be consuming extra calories this week.  Be sure not to miss a workout, even though you are extra busy.  Get your sweat on, make it count, & get that metabolism burning!

*If all else fails, eat only when you are actually HUNGRY.  You forgot your healthy dish at home, you are traveling & have no real control over the foods that are served, your will-power is low....even if you do not follow any of these other tips, stick to this one.  Only eat during your regular meal times / only eat when you are actually hungry.  Don't just grab a cookie or a hand-full of candy because "it's there & it tastes good."

I hope you have a very happy & healthy holiday & enjoy many blessed times with loved ones & friends.

Looking to improve your health in 2014?  Check out my New Year, New You Challenge Group.

Want to help others reach their health & fitness goals as a Beachbody coach? Complete this application to join my team: https://jhrbek.wufoo.com/forms/coaching-application/

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot the other night & we have been enjoying the left-overs ever since. It is a hit with the whole family & SO SIMPLE. Love it!! 
In a large crock pot combine:
-2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with mild green chiles
-2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
-32 oz (one box) low sodium chicken stock
-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1-2 tsp. ground cumin (depending on your taste)
-1 tsp black pepper
-1-2 tsp. oregano
-4 cloves minced garlic (or substitute garlic powder)
-1 large Onion, diced
-2 bell peppers, diced (choose your favorite color- I had red on hand)
-2 cups frozen corn
Cook in crockpot on low for approx 8 hours or high for 4 hours. When soup is almost ready, remove chicken & shred with two forks. Then return shredded chicken to the crockpot & stir.
*when serving, as a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt to add a little creaminess.
*I think a can of black beans would be a nice addition as well. I plan on trying that next time I make this. And I WILL be making this again!!

Click here for more clean eating recipes!

New Year, New You Fitness & Clean Eating Challenge

It's that time of year again when we sit down to reflect on the past year & accomplishments and start making plans & resolutions for the new year.  Do you have improving your health & fitness on your list of goals for 2014?

In July 2012 I made one of the most important decisions of my life...I took control of my health & wellness, I joined a Beachbody challenge group with my friend & coach, Melanie.  My initial goal was to fit into my non-maternity pants when I returned back to my teaching job after the birth of my fourth child.  By incorporating regular exercise, clean eating, & drinking Shakeology daily I achieved the goal of wearing my old pants, but gained so much more....increased self-confidence, increased energy (I can keep up with the kids now!), and a healthy lifestyle for my entire family!  In 90 days I dropped 40 lbs. & 20 inches and learned how to set a healthy example for my family.  Are you ready to take the leap and gain a new lease on life?

In the New Year, New You Fitness & Clean Eating challenge group you will receive personal support from me, your coach.  You will get daily motivation, accountability, health & fitness tips, and access to a community of like-minded people whom are all striving to get fit & healthy for the new year.  You will learn about clean eating & be provided with sample meal plans, clean eating recipes, tips for navigating the grocery store, how to eat clean on a budget, guidance on how to make healthier restaurant choices, & more!

If you are ready to take control of your health & fitness and feel your very best fill out an application to join the challenge here: https://jhrbek.wufoo.com/forms/challenge-group-application/ 

If you have any questions or would like to get more info email me at jessicahrbek@gmail.com

Clean Eating on a Budget

You can't eat from the dollar menu & have a million dollar body! Ever hear that? But I surely know that buying fresh, healthy foods isn't always easy on your wallet! Consider the long-term effects of how you are fueling your body. Consider the medical bills you could potentially AVOID by eating healthy, avoiding obesity, avoiding high blood pressure & high cholesterol. Sounds like a huge savings to me.
But for the immediate money saving, here are a few tips I abide by to get the biggest bang for my buck in the grocery store.
*Before making your weekly meal plan, refer to your grocery store sales fliers for the week & see which meats, fish, & produce are on sale. Incorporate those items into your weekly menu.
*Plan to eat & buy produce that is in season in your area. Not only will it be fresh & locally grown, it will cost less because it is in season & abundant.
*Make your meal plan before going shopping & use your meal plan as a shopping list. Only buy those items needed for your weekly meals & snack.
*Don't go to the grocery store hungry. This will make you more likely to go off-list & over budget.
*Eat less meat. Depend on less costly forms of protein like eggs, legumes, & beans.
*Keep your left-overs & eat them for another meal! In the picture above I used leftover chicken to make a wrap for lunch. Yum!
*When making items like soup, stew or chili make a large batch & freeze extras for future meals.
*Look for sales expensive items (like boneless skinless chicken breasts) & buy several packages. Break them down into family size portions & freeze for future use!
*Eat in more often. My family wanted pizza the other night. To order take out it would've been over $20. I made HEALTHIER pizzas for the entire family for about $10!
*Skip dessert! Your waistline & pocketbook will thank you. Have a cup of green tea to stave off that after dinner craving.

For some family-pleasing clean eating click here!

Gingerbread Vanilla Shakeology

This was lunch today! I did a little experiment & I turned out DELICIOUS!!
Gingerbread Vanilla Shakeology
Ice
6 oz water
6 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop vanilla Shakeology
1 Tbls. pure maple syrup
1/2 - 1 tsp. ground ginger (depends on your taste)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Click here to check out my other favorite Shakology recipes!
Click here for clean eating recipes!