3 Healthy Cook Out Tips

1. Bring a healthy dish. Don't blame the host, bring your own healthy dish: Veggie Trays, Salads, Fruit Bowls, etc.

2. Eat before you go. Call me crazy, I know, but if you're full you're going to be less likely to pig out on the unhealthy choices that will be tempting you.

3. Have an accountability buddy. They don't have to be at the party, have someone you can text pics of your plate to. Every bit of accountability helps :)

Which tip do you think will help you most this summer?

Easy Healthy Turkey Chili

This Turkey Chili Recipe is SO easy, only takes about 40 minutes to make and is packed with healthy ingredients :) This will make 4 hefty servings :) 

Ingredients

1tsp EVOO

1 pound 93% lean ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1.5tsp ground cumin

1tbsp chili powder

1/2tsp sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne peper

1 15oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can all natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added (not drained)

1/2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over med-high heat

2. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until turkey is no longer pink (approx 5-8 minutes)

3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute

4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and gently boil, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes

5. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese

ENJOY

How to survive the Christmas parties

Here's a  4 step guide to how I survived 2 Christmas parties in 2 nights! 

Normally I give in, but this year has been my BEST year of health and I didn’t want to quit on month 12, so I created a plan. I knew I still wanted to have cookies and alcohol, but I didn’t need to over indulge, so I planned.

            Step #1: I planned to workout during the day of the party, extra goodies on top of no workout is a bad idea…. so make sure to get that workout in and go hard on party days
Step 2: The next plan was to eat well throughout the day of the party, I made sure to get my typical turkey bacon and eggs, fruits, veggies, etc J There’s nothing worse than eating terrible all day long then adding more bad choices on top of it…set yourself up for success and eat well that day

The trick is the next part…

Step #3: I planned to drink my shakeology about an hour before the party started. This was the WINNER! I’ve done the first 2 steps in the past and still failed at the party, so step #3 made a huge difference! Why did it make a difference? A couple reasons:

            1. It kept me full. When you’re full it’s a lot harder to over indulge and eat until your pants come unbuttoned.

            2. It curbed my cravings. I have a HUGE sweet tooth, but when I prep with shakeology, the sweet tooth melts away. I actually want to eat more healthy food instead of sweets.

Step #4: I planned to only have a small amount of alcohol. Alcohol will sabotage all of your progress if you have too much. I’m sure this is a step a lot of people would like to skip since it’s part of the season, but this step right here makes a BIG impact on your results!

I hope these 4 steps help you during your Christmas parties as much as they’ve helped me! If you want more details on Shakeology, be sure to email me (samanthamarlett@gmail.com) or leave a comment on this post. I truly believe it’s saved me from so many bad food choices this year! 

3 Halloween Tips

I was sitting around thinking about how tough these next 3 months can be and Halloween is first on the list so I wanted to give you my top 3 tips to having a healthier Halloween and trick or treat season :) 

Recap:

#1: Load up on fruits and veggies. This is probably one that makes you scratch your head, but seriously, if you load up to the point that you're full you're not going to have room for candy :) 

#2: Track it. Simply use the note app on your phone and write out ever piece of candy or junk food you're eating. It will have you thinking twice pretty quickly

#3: Get rid of it! This is probably more difficult if you have children, but get it out of the house as quickly as you possibly can :) 

What are some of your tips? Comment with them below...