Enjoy this Healthy Chocolate without the Guilt!!

So I recently was in contact with the nice people over at ChoNanga about reviewing some of their chocolate products & they sent me one of everything! Let's be honest, I'm not about to turn down chocolate, especially gourmet chocolate!

I really love how all of the chocolates have added benefits such as peppermint, maca, hempseeds, turmeric, matcha green tea, bee pollen & more! It made me feel so much less guilty about enjoying chocolate! My favorite was the Energy & Vitality but they were all so amazing that I would probably just order the sampler pack so that I can enjoy them all again!



I love supporting companies like ChoNanga because all of their ingredients are free of gluten, soy and GMO's. They use organic and fair trade ingredients whenever possible. When you purchase ChoNanga chocolate, you are also helping farmers get better prices, educating children in rural communities & keeping pesticides out of the environment. In addition, they pledge 2% of their profits to organizations that support a healthier planet, such as the Sacred Valley Project, which provides boarding and education to low income young women in rural Peru.

To grab some of these amazing chocolates for yourself (or as a stocking stuffer for your loved ones), you can check out their online shop here. Their prices are very reasonable too! Let me know if you try some and which is your favorite!

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. These opinions are entirely my own, based on my personal experience.  

Home-made Larabars!

I have a confession to make.. I have a slight obsession with Larabars. I love pretty much every flavor that they make, but let's be honest, they can get pretty expensive at almost $1 per bar!! So the other day when I was browsing on Pinterest, I saw a few healthy bar recipes and it convinced me to try my hand at making my own! So here goes, hope you enjoy!

Homemade Larabar Recipe:

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 pinch sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup walnuts

Blend all together in the blender, slowly at first and then speed up. You will need to keep mixing and pushing down until it blends into a cookie batter like consistency. 

Put into a casserole dish and place in freezer for about 20-25 minutes. Cut into pieces & enjoy! I keep these refrigerated.

Even my picky husband loves these! Not to mention, they are really quick and easy to make. You can also add extra ingredients such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. If you make some, let me know how yours turns out!

Fall is my favorite time of the year!

Happy November Y'all!! The last week has been full of fun Fall things- Fall costume parties, baking yummy treats, soups, new Fall boots and lots of raking + landscaping. I love this time of year!

The hubby and I made pumpkin shaped cheese straws together

 My fail at a cute Fall photo

 Turmeric Ginger Latte- my new favorite drink!

Lentil soup with carrots, celery & onions

  I signed up for ShoeDazzle and ordered these boots + another pair!

We also renewed our Costco Membership & picked up some healthy eats

Target run + Starbucks is always necessary!

We also have been working so much on landscaping- planting crepe myrtle trees, fruit trees, blueberry and blackberry bushes. I am so excited to have a fruit orchard! Today I am going to work on raking pine-straw to put in the beds and cleaning up the concrete from pouring our drive + well house. This weekend we are planning to have a huge bonfire + hot cocoa, so I'm really looking forward to that!

Lately, I have  been making lots of things from scratch- coconut milk, almond milk, almond flour, larabars & chocolate chips. There are so many additives in processed foods, that I prefer making my own foods at home, even though it takes more work. I just ordered more cacao along with some other health items, so hopefully it comes in soon so I can make the hubby chocolate chip cookies.

What fun things do you do in the Fall?

A Peek Inside my Healthy Fridge!

I don't know about you, but I love peeking inside of healthy fridges!! Since I have a lot going on this week, I thought I would do a short & sweet post showing you what's inside my fridge. Are you ready?!

 I'm trying to drink less dairy so I stocked up on coconut creamer. Target had it on sale for $1.90 plus I had a $1 off coupon when you buy three. I'm not that great with coupons but I try!

 This cauliflower "rice" has been so amazing to help kick my rice addiction!!

 Publix had the Udis pizza on sale for 2 for $10 this week!

 Grass fed Butter for Bulletproof coffee!

 Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are on sale at Publix this week for $3.99- I bought 3 cartons!

 Organic fruit

All of the grains pictured are for the hubby since he is still eating grains. Sadly, I can't have any of those but honestly, I don't miss them quite as much as I did in the beginning. I also picked up some organic chicken, ground sausage, grass-fed steaks and beef.

Like I mentioned in my last post, I am back on the Ketogenic Diet which makes me feel amazing! What I love about eating this way is that I have tons of energy and also that I don't have to limit what I eat. I'm also seeing results from my HIIT daily workouts. I am on week two and this week, my sister, Becky is now joining me in getting healthy and toned! Right now we are doing mostly burpees, jump squats, planks, high knees, etc. and we are definitely feeling the burn!

We are planning on doing a girl's shopping + Starbucks day once we both get to our goal weight. Shopping is definitely the best way to get me motivated! 

What type of eating plan do you prefer?

Keto Scare + No More Swimming

 
Hi lovies! Hope your week is going well! I still can't get over that we have less than 5 months remaining in 2016. It's really made me realize that I need to keep pushing and working hard to get all of my goals accomplished!

So what has been going on with me lately? Well first, I'm back on the Ketogenic diet. I had gotten off of it for about 2 weeks because I kept getting nauseous and dizzy. I thought that maybe that it was the lack of grains in my diet that was causing this so I ended up adding back in brown rice, yogurt and more fruits. I figured out later, that it wasn't my diet but something else entirely different.

Rewinding back to last Saturday, I woke up and nausea and dizziness immediately hit me. I got out of bed anyway, thinking that I could just have an espresso and feel better but when I tried to walk to the kitchen, I couldn't walk straight and literally ran into the dining room table. I felt very out of it and not myself; it was like I was having an out of body experience. I immediately grabbed my activated charcoal from the medicine cabinet and some water and ended up going back to bed to lie down. I got really scared because I felt so dizzy to the point that I couldn't even lift my head up so I asked the hubby to please pray over me, which he did immediately. I ended up sleeping for half the day and once I woke up, I felt like myself again. It scared me so bad that I prayed to God asking him to please heal me and to reveal to me what I was doing or eating that was making me so sick.

The following Monday afternoon, the hubby and I headed to the pool as usual and as soon as I started swimming a few minutes, I started getting dizzy and nauseous and it hit me, it was the chlorine and pool chemicals that was making me so sick!! I told the hubby that I was going to test my theory and not swim for about 1-2 weeks. Today marks almost 2 weeks and I haven't been nauseous or dizzy even one time. I have always known that I am extremely chemically sensitive to the extreme that at home I only use organic cleaners, body washes, toothpaste, laundry detergent. All of our foods are organic as well so I knew it wasn't anything in our house that was causing the problem. I honestly didn't think that the little bit of pool chemicals would bother me, but it did. Lesson learned!

So now instead of swimming, I have started back with my HIIT workouts and speed walking daily. I have been doing jump squats, lunges, regular squats with weights, burpees, mountain climbers, etc. I'm hoping that this will help build my muscle much faster than swimming did. I had issues with muscle weakness when I was swimming which have disappeared since I have been pool-free.

I'm waiting to hit my goal weight and then I plan on going shopping! I skipped both tax-free days in Georgia and Florida because I didn't want to buy clothes for the size I am now. I was really disappointed because I love shopping but I didn't want to buy clothes that I would just get rid of later. It really gave me a kick in the butt, looking at all of the cute clothing that was on sale that I couldn't even enjoy and for what? For me, it's just not worth it to not be in shape and to not feel good about myself. Now that I have figured out that the Keto diet is not harming me, I am excited to get back to it and get in shape!

Are you at your happy size? If not, what is holding you back?

BulletProof Coffee + Accomplishments this Week

Wow, this week certainly did fly by fast, right?! This week, for me has been pretty productive. I have had my high energy days and some not so much. I am on Day 8 of my new diet, The Ketogenic Diet and some days I'm running around with so much energy and some days I am exhausted from the detox. I have lost 8 lbs so far on this diet! I'm hoping to get to my goal weight within the next week and I plan on rewarding myself with some retail therapy!

I have also noticed that my allergies are much better and I haven't had issues with anxiety or depression since I have been on the diet, so that is a huge improvement. I have been so excited about it that I have been telling all of my family about it and how much this way of eating, has helped me. Also, I post free books weekly on my Book Club- The Book Clique and I posted a couple of free downloads for the Ketogenic diet if you are interested! Make sure you follow so that you get access to free kindle books every week!

The one thing that has really helped me get through this week is the BulletProof Coffee that I told you guys about last week- that stuff is amazing! When I'm feeling tired, it really gives me so much energy to get the things that I need to get done. I have really been taking advantage of my high energy days and getting quite a few things knocked out.

Business Updates:
>> Applied for a few affiliate programs to help monetize my blog
>> Updated my Blog Media Kit
>> Emailed some companies about collaborations
>> Emailed over 35 free copies of my VA eBook in exchange for Amazon Reviews (I also sold several copies in the last week- woohoo!!)
>> Pitched an article to HARO. The source was from the Huffington Post, so I'm hoping that it gets published!
>> Updated my business website
>> Emailed several readers for new reviews on my Facebook for my VA eBook
>> Lowered my VA eBook price from $9.99 to $7.99 so that I can reach more people. I know that it's worth so much more, but I'm more interested in helping others achieve their dreams of working from home, like I have!

House Updates:
>> Touched up Paint in a couple of rooms
>> Repaired a DIY piece that the hubby and I made together. I plan on hanging it this weekend!
>> Hubby did some caulking on the interior trim to get it ready for me to paint
>> Re-arranged the deck

Personal:
>> Made Hair appointment for next week
>> Actually took some downtime and had a spa day at home. I need to do that more often!
>> Made Dentist appointment for next week
>> Daily- listen to sermons, exercise via speed-walking/water aerobics
>> I finally bit the bullet & joined SnapChat! You can follow me @malpollard The hubby and I have been having so much fun with it!!
>> Also helped my Mom in the past 2 months do some de-cluttering and cleaning. She is always so giving and helping everyone else so it was nice to help her for once.
>> My brother's house burned down a couple of months ago so my hubby went to help with my other brothers to re-build their pool house. They worked for almost 13 hours straight and was able to get it fully framed! So excited for them after going through such a tragedy.

And as always, my regular domestic duties around the house- dishes, laundry, cleaning and cooking. Right now, I have to do everything all on my own, but one day I plan on hiring a housekeeper. I think for going through a week of detox, this is not a bad list of accomplishments. Just think of all that I could accomplish after getting over this detox period! I can't wait to see how much better I feel once I get through this period.

Let me know if this post helps you or inspires you so that I can do more posts like these. I always want to share my tips so I can help you feel your very best & have the best life possible! For me, life is about giving back & when you find something amazing- share it with the world and help others.

I'll be back soon with more fun updates! Happy early Friday!

xoxo, M

Fitness Goals + Bulletproof Coffee!

Happy Friday!! This has been a really great week for me because I am finally seeing some results from all of the hard work that I've been putting into my workouts and healthy eating! Currently, I have lost about 5 lbs so far and I feel like I have more energy. Getting to my goal weight + toned is on my 2016 Goals/Vision Board so I plan on getting it accomplished!

My "whys" for reaching my goal weight:

>> Look good in everything!

>> Have more energy

>> Get rid of food allergies, intolerances

>> Feel confident & secure in my own skin

>>Self-love, stop being so hard on myself!

>> Look amazing for my hubby!

>> Summer- look amazing in my swimsuit!

I have been swimming almost every day and speed-walking for about 1 hour per day. I have decreased my HIIT workouts from 4-5 to about 2-3 times per week. I just started a new eating plan that I am so excited about that I want to share with you guys!

It's called the Ketogenic diet and it's been around forever but lately I have been seeing bulletproof coffee on Instagram, etc. A diet based around drinking coffee definitely piqued my interest! I downloaded a couple of Ketogenic Kindle books and did some research online and it seems like a really great diet! 

 

via Cafe Gras 

Thursday was Day 1 and it was rough because I completely eliminated all sugar and carbs. Usually, I eat some carbs and sugar on a daily basis, so not having any, really put my body into detox shock!

Here's Day 1 on Keto:

Breakfast:

7:45 Bulletproof coffee for Breakfast

9:00 Bulletproof coffee

10:00 1 organic fried egg, handful organic sauteed greens & 1/2 chicken sausage

Basically, to make the bulletproof coffee, you need 1 cup organic coffee, 1 tablespoon of whipping cream (preferably organic, grass-fed), 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. (I actually only 1/2 tbsp of butter). You blend all of these ingredients together in a blender or with a hand-held frother. Don't add any sugar! I found that it tastes so good on it's own, that I don't even miss the sugar. There are other specific products that you can buy to enhance your coffee, but I decided to start my Keto diet on a budget to see how it works before I invest too much.

I made the mistake of taking all of my vitamins at once and walked for about 10 minutes. I started to feel nauseous so I went back inside and hydrated with lots of lemon water. I can definitely feel the detox today. I haven't been without sugar or carbs all day, like ever!

Lunch:

2 organic boiled eggs with 1/2 avocado, olive oil, sea salt

Snack: 

Bulletproof coffee

I did eat some grapes and almonds (the grapes were a no-no but I started feeling nauseous and needed something with sugar in it)

I felt better after another bulletproof coffee and a snack, so I speed-walked for about 35 minutes and felt okay this time. Once the hubby got home, we headed over to the pool and went swimming for an hour. We literally exercised the entire time. I can really tell that the swimming exercises are toning my muscles, which I'm really excited about!

Dinner:

Huge Kale & Romaine salad with organic chicken & Greek vinaigrette dressing with grated Parmesan

Snack:

1/2 of Paleo Grass-Fed Bar

Day 2 on Keto:

I feel so much better this morning! For breakfast I had 2 cups of bulletproof coffee and 1/2 of a Grass-fed Paleo Bar, 1/2 chicken sausage and 3 oz. of raw cheese. I convinced my hubby to try my Bulletproof coffee this morning and he liked it! 

I'm really feeling excited about the Keto diet, because I have dealt with so many issues with food intolerance and allergies in the past couple of years. I haven't found anything that has helped so I'm really hoping that this is the answer. It would be so amazing to wake up every morning and feel normal and not like I was ran over by a mac truck! 

I'll keep you guys updated on everything and I will be back in a day or two with an amazing brand that you are going to love! (At least I really do!)

Have you tried bulletproof coffee yet?

Udi's Gluten Free Review!

I have been working really hard lately to eat healthier and eliminate gluten and I feel so much better eating this way! Still, sometimes my life gets so busy that I have to resort to pre-made frozen meals. Lucky for me, there are so many healthy options out there for people like me!

Recently, Udi's Gluten Free kindly sent me some complimentary coupons to use on their products to review. I was more than happy to oblige! I already purchase their gluten free breads, pizza and pastas but the Veggie Lasagna was new to me, so I chose it to review.

Udi's Gluten Free Veggie Lasagna is layered with mozzarella and ricotta cheese with tomatoes, zucchini, squash, onions and celery. My husband and I eat frozen meals at least once per week since we stay pretty busy and it's great to know that there are healthy, gluten free options out there! I love how easy it was to just pop in the oven and bake.

Comparing this lasagna to other frozen lasagnas that I've had is not even comparable. My husband honestly thought that this lasagna was home-made (I had to break the truth to him that it was frozen and he was very surprised!) For the people who dislike vegetables out there (my Mom and brother!), even though it has zucchini, squash, onions and celery, you could not even tell that they were in there.

You can find Udi's practically anywhere. I purchase mine from Publix, Whole Foods, Fresh Market and even Target.

Have you tried any of the Udi's Gluten Free products? I would love to hear about which ones that you've tried!

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. These opinions are entirely my own, based on my personal experience.  

Shaping up for the Summer + a Review

Lately, we have been enjoying the summer and going swimming at my brother's pool a few times per week. I have been taking advantage of the pool so that I can exercise and I have also been doing my HIIT workouts and speed walking. For some reason, it's been really difficult for me getting back in shape this time, so I ordered some Chromium Picolinate from iHerb today, and I'm hoping that it helps boost my metabolism and work some magic. Getting in shape is a daily commitment and it's definitely not for the lazy!

I have been eating really healthy since we got back from our week-long cruise. All gluten free, no breads and I have cut way back on sugar. Recently, I received these healthy heart bars from Rawxies to review. I was definitely in need of some healthy snacks and detoxing after all of the heavy foods from my cruise. 

I love the fact that rawxies are gluten free, soy free and dairy free; especially since I have allergies to all three. These heart bars were very filling and the perfect snack! My favorite two were obviously the chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate brownie- yum! They also carry other great flavors such as mint chocolate chip and cranberry pecan.

If you are looking for a healthy snack these are perfect for before or after your workout. You can find them online at Amazon Prime, Lucky Vitamin, Vita-Cost, Abe's Market or The Gluten-Free Mall. You can also check their locations map online and find them in a store as well.

What's your favorite healthy snack?

Purely Elizabeth Review

I recently spoke with Caroline at purely elizabeth and she kindly emailed me a couple of coupons to try out some of their products. I chose the Blueberry Hemp Ancient Grain Granola & honestly, it was the best granola that I've eaten! The granola was crunchy with sweet blueberries.  It was sweet but instead of regular cane sugar, they use a coconut sugar which is a low-gylcemic sweetener. I love that it is Gluten-free + vegan as well.

The only downside was that it was so good that I kept wanting to eat it..so maybe tell yourself that you'll just have a small portion so that you don't overdo it! They also offer oatmeal, cereal and muesli; so lots of great breakfast options! 

I'm really looking forward to trying out the Pumpkin Fig and Cranberry Pecan Ancient Granola next! You can order any of their products online or at your local food store (Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Sprouts,EarthFare, Kroger, Ralphs and lots more!) I picked mine up at Whole Foods.

They also have a cookbook that looks amazing!- it has over 100 all natural, organic and gluten-free recipes.It's available on Amazon,Anthropologie & more-here's the link to learn more about the cookbook.

Have you tried any of the purely elizabeth products? I'd love to know!

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. These opinions are completely my own, based on my personal experience.  

Go Raw Snack Review

    

Recently, I connected with Lindsay at Go Raw to collaborate on doing a review on some of their raw snacks. If you've been following me for a while, you know that I like to try to eat healthy 95% of the time. Lately, I've been working on incorporating more raw, whole foods into my diet, so these snacks are perfect!

I also love these snacks because I am able to eat them even with all of my food allergies! They are gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free as well as vegan and no yucky genetically modified ingredients.

 The carrot cake sprouted cookies was one of my favorites! Just a handful was perfect for a pre-workout or even post workout.

 The first bar that I tried was the raisin crunch. I'm a big fan of raisins, so I was excited to try out this one! It was really delicious and I liked how chewy it was. It was not overly sweet like most of the packaged bars in the stores.

 The bars are loaded with lots of healthy sprouted grains like buckwheat groats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds.This bar had 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.

Seriously, look at how huge this bar is! I put one of my books next to the bar,so that you can see the comparison. I took a few bites for a snack & I plan on saving the rest for later. I'm excited to have these to snack on, especially with summer right around the corner!

 Honestly, the raw chocolate was my favorite- I'm a chocolate lover! It was extremely creamy and rich. Perfect for an after dinner dessert.

 Loved these coconut crisps- light and delicious!

These went perfectly with my hummus. They had a really good flavor!

You can find any of these snacks in the Go Raw Online Store. I love how reasonable their prices are as well; all of their snacks are very affordable. If you're wanting to eat healthier and get in shape for the summer- these are the perfect snacks to get you started.

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. These opinions are completely my own based on my personal experience.