Jessica's Journey...

I sent my sister a picture today of my new work out outfit. She told me to post it to Instagram but I was too scared so she said she would do it since I wouldn't.  My initial reaction was embarrassment.  I had already worked out when I took the pic & I didn't think it was flattering but I only expected her to see it.  To my surprise I went to work and my phone started blowing up with texts. Clients and friends saw the picture and were telling me how inspired and motivated they were by me.  I didn't realize how my progress had affected people. Rachel had been telling me I needed to post my 1 year before and after pics but I kept making excuses. I was scared. But all the positive feed back today about the first picture gave me the courage to do it.  So here is my story.. Please be gentle with your comments as I am human with feelings. (In other words I'm a woman and we are super sensitive!)

Jessica's Journey...

I'm not by nature a athlete. I hated excersise and really didn't care that much about sports. I was actually conned into playing Softball one year and begged the coach not to play me. She agreed after I dropped a fly ball three times in a row. I have one sister who was an amazing Volleyball star in high school. And another who was a awesome Softball player. I just figured I didn't get the athlete gene.  I had the worst eating habits growing up than anyone I know.  I lived on peanut butter M&M's and Dr Pepper in High School. Oh and Cup of Noodles... Almost every night for dinner.  I wouldn't eat meat. Or Veggies. Or really fruit either.  It wasn't my parents fault I just really had issues with food.  I LOVED junk food plain and simple as that.  In my 20's I started reaping the consequences of my eating habits. I would gain 10lbs. Lose it. Then gain 15lbs. This went on through out my 20's. And then I hit 30. Oh dear God.. Everyone who warned me about hitting 30 was right. I was 25lbs over weight and experiencing fatigue, hormone issues, hair loss, dry skin and constipation that was seriously alarming. I kept asking my Drs if there could be a thyroid issue or anything else wrong with me. They kept saying no.  So I started Crossfit in hopes that I could lose the weight and start feeling better.  I was scared to death so I made Brad go with me. And I literally hurt so bad after the first work out I didn't think I would ever go back. But I did. I kept going and I started dabbling with Paleo. Which was hard bc I really didn't like anything on my Paleo menu. I started a Paleo Challenge at my box in January of 2013. I followed the diet 80-90% of the time. The rest of the 10-20% was pizza and beer.  Which for me was really good compared to my diet in the past.  And everyone around me was losing weight. Except me. I quit turning in my food log because I was embarrassed thinking that everyone would think I was lying about my food journal because I wasn't losing any weight.  I thought something had to be wrong because all though I had quit gaining weight I didn't lose a pound and to change your diet that extremely you would think I would've lost a pound or 2.  I switched Drs and I finally found a Dr who diagnosed me with Hypothyroid.  I was relieved to find that there was something wrong with me because I knew I felt terrible and that just couldn't be normal. I spent a couple months on Desicated Thyroid and I felt better but I knew I wasn't 100%.  I was watching the girls around me at Crossfit get better and I was not really progressing at all and found it hard to get there as I was so sore from each workout. I really was finding that I enjoyed Crossfit but it was depressing to not see much improvement. It didn't seem like the soreness was normal but I really didn't have anything to compare to.  Frustrated with my new Dr I started looking for a Holistic Dr. I found one. One hour away. But at that point it didn't matter. I wanted to feel better so badly I would pretty much do anything. And I went to see her with that exact attitude.  Brad drove me to Valencia, I spent a hour and a half in her office with all my lab work papers and came out in tears.  I was overwhelmed with the information she gave me. She diagnosed me with Hashimotos Thyroiditis. The answers were right in front of my last Dr she just didn't care enough to even look at my Labs.  This Dr sent me home with a book and told me she would only work with me if I went 100% gluten Free and followed the Paleo diet closely.  She said if I didn't it would be a waste of her time because there would be nothing else she could do for me.  So I cried to my husband Brad who I'm sure thought to himself " this will last all of one week".  But it didn't.   I went home and stayed up late every night reading and researching. I learned that Hashimotos is a autoimmune disease. I also learned that 80% of our immune system is in our gut. The more I read the more I realized that my whole life I had been setting myself up for something like this to happen. It was inevitable. I researched and researched and found that for people with Hashimotos it is extremely important to stay away from gluten because of Two reasons.  One is almost all patients diagnosed with Hashimotos have a gluten allergy or intolerance. And two the molecular structure of Gluten is almost identical to that of the Thyroid. So when Gluten gets into the blood stream the brain cannot differentiate between the two and it basically fuels the auto immune attack.  The way I saw it was I had NO other choice than to listen to my Dr.  So I started Paleo. 100%. Two weeks in I noticed my hair quit falling out.  I started going to the bathroom every day.  I lost 8 lbs in 3 weeks. I was sold. I felt better and better everyday that went by.  I for the first time in my life started looking at food as fuel and nutrients for my body. And I didn't want to poison it anymore.  I became interested in my body and how it worked and how food could heal my body. And you know what?  Two months into Paleo I decided that there were only positive things happening to me. Not one negative thing.  Every symptom I had been complaining about for the last couple years was going away.  I was working toward that 100% and I was getting there. I didn't care what people thought of my new diet because it didn't matter. What did matter was I was feeling better then ever and best of all I was losing weight AND I was getting better at Crossfit.  Noticeably better. Everyone was commenting on how my body was changing.  It felt good. I felt good.  I made up my mind that this was going to be a lifestyle change for me. It wasn't a diet. This was just how I ate.  And it started getting easier. I would say at the 2 month mark it felt natural to me.  I  started getting super annoying because it was all I could talk about. I just wanted people to know what the Paleo diet and Crossfit was doing for me.  And I knew I was annoying but I reallly couldn't help myself.  It was like I knew a secret that was so good because it could help anyone who chose to listen and apply it to their life. Somewhere along the way I started to find a balance and tried to not talk about it ALL the time.  But with the changes people started asking me my secret. I had friends who wanted my recipes and my help. And the crazy thing is I'm just a amateur. I'm nowhere near where I need to be nor do I know that much. I just know enough to make it day by day and I am lucky enough to be a avid reader so I just keep reading. And researching.  And talking to people who eat like I do. And literally stalk other peoples blogs and instagrams for new recipes.  I started talking to my sister about starting a blog. She started doing Crossfit before me and has been a clean eater for a long time and has a husband Jacob who has a masters in Exercise Physiology and is finishing Chiropractor school. (I know lucky her). I'm not good at the computer stuff but she is. And we basically were weekly trying new recipes and exchanging them and any new knowledge we had gained. Or any knowledge we had pulled out of Jacob.  We decided that we weren't professionals but if we could help a couple people along the way then why not start a blog. If anything it would help hold us accountable.  So here we are. Two sisters one eating Paleo and 100% gluten free and the other eating paleo most of the time and clean the rest of the time.  On a journey together hoping to motivate our family and friends and help even if it's just a little bit. So with all that said I decided to post my story with my 1 year pictures. I'm not going to lie I'm scared to death. My body is no where near where I want it to be.  I'm super critical of these pictures.  But I keep reminding myself that in one year I have lost 22lbs,  built more muscle then I have ever had in my life and all the while dealing with a Autoimmune Disease. So is my body perfect?  Nope. And that's ok. I've made so much progress and I am truly proud of myself for it.  I'm just a average girl who doesn't consider herself athletic, and still gets super intimidated every time I walk into my Crossfit box. A uneducated girl trying to educate herself about nutrition and her body.  And a girl who wants nothing more then to change her life for the positive so when she decides to have children she can be the best example possible.  That's it. Jessica's Journey.. This journey is just barely getting started :)

Avocado Ranch Dressing

I love Ranch dressing, however I've been looking for a healthy alternative so here is what I came up with! It taste amazing!!

Ingredients:

1 hidden valley ranch packet or (make your own seasoning by blending 2 Tbl of onion powder, 1 Tbl garlic Powder, 1 tsp Dill, 1 tsp parsley, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper)

1 medium avocado 

1/4 bunch cilantro

1/2 jalapeño 

1 cup coconut milk   

1 Tbl lemon juice

Salt pepper to taste 

Blend all of the ingredient in your blender and there you go! Paleo Ranch Dressing!  If you prefer your dressing not quite as thick then I would add a bit more coconut milk. It taste so fresh! I make mine in small batches because avocados don't last long and I don't want my dressing turning brown! I hope you will give this a try!  

Paleo Spinach Sauce

This Paleo Spinach Sauce is Freaking Amazing!!  My husband wanted to eat it like soup. He turned his nose up when he first looked at it but I made him try it. Rachel & I decided that it's full of flavor and it's one of those things that as it sits in your mouth you taste even more flavors.  I know it's not pretty... But please trust me when I say it's Fabulous!!  Have I lied to you yet?  I didn't think so.  I've been using this sauce on top of Veggies, on Chicken and just yesterday as a pizza sauce. I'm in love and it's super easy to make.  So here's your recipe peeps...

Ingredients

1 Bag Of Spinach

1 Yellow Onion

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Coconut Cream

1 Tsp Tumeric

1 Tsp Coriander

1/3 Tsp Red Pepper

1 & 1/2 Tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

1/2 Cup of Broth (or less)

Salt at the end to taste

In a skillet add your Olive oil, Garlic & Onion.  Cook down on medium heat until cooked down. It's going to be blended but you want it soft. 

Next your going to steam your bag of spinach while your onions & garlic are cooking. About 5 minutes. 

Once it's cooked set aside to cool off.

Add your cooked Onion, Garlic and Spinach to your blender. Your going to then add the Coconut Cream, Coriander, Tumeric, fresh grated ginger and red pepper. Now add a small amount of vegetable broth to the blender and start to blend. Add the broth to get a smooth consistency. You want it thick not runny so you may not end up using the whole 1/2 cup. Once everything is blended add Sea Salt to taste. Don't forget this because it really helps bring out the flavors. You'll see what I mean when your tasting it. I usually put mine aside or in the fridge for a few hours to let all the flavors blend. It seems to get Better as it sits. I think if you give this sketchy looking green sauce a try you will really LOVE it like I do!

Enjoy!

Jessica

Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

Another easy recipe that will make the whole family happy! My boys and husband loved these tender and savory ribs. So much so that they barely left many any to eat after coming home from my workout last night. Those stinkers!  I savors every bite! Here is what you need to do.  I made my favorite gluten free barbecue sauce but you could use any of  your favorite barbecues sauces. Just make sure you have plenty of it because these ribs are going to be dredged in it. 

Barbecue Sauce:

• 1/2 cup gluten free ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or (brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika  

Ribs:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Prepare ribs. Place ribs on tinfoil on baking sheet. Make sure there is enough tinfoil so that you can cover and seal the ribs. You can either pit on your favorite dry run or you can just salt and pepper. 

Then slather on your barbecue sauce on both sides of the ribs.  Make sure you are generous with the sauce! You want these ribs to be moist and tender. 

Then seal the tinfoil at the top. 

For better ribs you can let these marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Then place the baking sheet with the foiled ribs in the oven for two hours. Open the tinfoil for the last 10 minutes of bake time! Then serve with your favorite side!! Easy and delicious!! 

Enjoy- Rachel 

Honey Walnut Scallops

Our friends took my husband and I out to dinner about a month ago and I had scallops for dinner. They were so good that I seriously haven't stopped thinking about them. So I decided I would just make them myself.  I've been seeing recipes on the Internet for honey walnut shrimp which my husband and I both love.  So I revamped this recipe so I could eat the yummy scallops guilt free!! This recipe has so many great things About it that I can't hardly wait to make it again.  For example, it literally took me 8 minutes to make this dinner!! Seriously how can you beat that! Or how about you only need 5 ingredients for this entire recipe! Or that it is absolutely delicious and divine and will melt In your mouth leaving you wanting more. Yep! It is fantastic and I LOVED it! Ok.  So enough of my rambling. Here is the deal. If you don't like scallops you can always make this with shrimp. You could also do shrimp and scallops together! You could also double the sauce recipe so that you can pour extra sauce over any vegetable, quinoa, or brown rice if you want to add to your plate!! Yum!!!! Now go make this recipe!!! 

For sauce: 

3 Tbl. Butter (ghee)

3 Tbl. Honey

3/4 Cup Coconut Cream

1/2 Walnut Pieces 

Salt & pepper 

Melt butter and coconut cream then wisk in honey. 

Salt and pepper and then add in walnut pieces. 

Keep warm while you pan sear your scallops. Easy right!!!?

Scallops: 

1 lb scallops 

3 Tbl butter or (ghee)

Salt & pepper

Add the butter to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the butter is hot gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. 

Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. 

 

Serve immediately.  Pour you honey walnut sauce over the pan seared scallops and then indulge!! Serve over quinoa or brown rice or with a side of veggies. 

Enjoy- Rachel

Paleo Peppermint Mound Cup

These were literally an experiment gone right!  I've been looking at all kinds of different blogs and gathering ideas. And this is what I came up with. I had to ask for help on Instagram for a name because I didn't even know what to call it.   So shout out to @savannahfitgirl08 on Instagram for the name inspiration.  You kinda nailed it girl!  So here they are.. My Paleo Dessert experiment that turned out to be amazing!!  This recipe only make 5 cups so double it if your going to need more. Also these must be kept in the freezer for the coconut cream layer to stay in tact. I just put them in zip lock baggies to pull out as I feel the need for a yummy treat.  Ok for the recipe your going to need the silicone muffin cups. If you don't have them go to Bed Bath & Beyond or order some online. I promise you won't hate me. They are so amazing and easy to clean. You will use them for all your muffin recipes from here on out. Word!!  Here it goes!

What you need... 

1/2 cup of Almond Meal

2 Tbsp Cocoa 

1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Honey

3 Tbsp Chopped nuts (use your favorite I used Walnuts this time)

1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract

1/2 cup Coconut Cream

2 ounces 85% or higher Dark Chocolate

5 Silicone muffin cups

For the bottom crust take the almond meal, coconut oil, Cocoa, honey and mix together. Add the chopped nuts. The mixture should be sticky enough to stay together but not too wet or dry.  Add a tad oil or almond meal if you need to adjust the consistency. 

Now take a spoon and press the mixture into the bottom of the 5 cups.  

Now place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until hard. Now take your coconut cream and mix in the peppermint extract. Then pour evenly into all 5 cups. Then return to freezer again. At least 10 minutes. Because the Coconut cream has to harden completly. 

Now start melting your dark chocolate in the microwave. Once it's melted and the coconut cream is completly hard pour the dark chocolate over the coconut and return to the freezer.  Give them awhile in the fridge to set up and when they are ready pull them out and peel away the cup from the sillicone. Eat one. Only one.  Or 5. Just kidding. Place the extras in ziplocks and place back into the freezer. Pull one out as you feel the need for a dessert. Or breakfast or lunch. Or whatever floats your boat.  

-Jessica

Paleo Marinara Meat Sauce over Spaghetti Squash

Ok people this one is way to easy and yummy to not try.  I like to make it at the beginning of the week and have the leftovers for lunch. Plus we all know that spaghetti sauce gets better as it sits in the fridge.  So go buy yourself a spaghetti squash and make this easy dinner!  

What you will need...

1lb 96% ground beef

1 yellow onion

1 Jar of Cucina Antica Marinara Sauce (I use this one because it is clean no additives or sugar I found this at Lassens)

1 Spaghetti Squash

Start of by chopping up your onion. Throw the chopped onion and ground beef in a pan on medium heat. 

Cook onion and ground beef till done then drain the fat. Put onion and ground beef back in pan and return to heat. Open your jar of Marinara

And pour into pan with beef and stir well.  Leave on low heat while you cook your spaghetti squash. 

Now this is the hardest part of this recipe. Take a BIG knife and cut the spaghetti squash in half. Please use caution because I'm not kidding that squash is a mother f-er to cut in half. Thank God I do Crossfit.  Once you get it cut in half use a spoon to remove the seeds from the inside 

Now take a 13 by 9 inch dish. Put about 1/4 inch water in the bottom and lay the squash face down in the pan

Now place in microwave for about 20 minutes or until done. You should be able to easily insert a knife through the back of the squash when it's done. Now flip over and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then your going to take a fork and just start scraping out the inside of the squash. It basically shreds and looks like little noodles. Take a heaping portion of that squash and go put some meat sauce over it and there you go. Spaghetti. Paleo style. I told you it was easy. You can thank me later.

-Jessica