Chicken with roasted cherry tomato and basil sauce

.Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins

Chicken with roasted cherry tomato and basil sauce - a clean eating and ketogenic recipe the entire family will love. I have a child who doesn't like sauce (I know, who doesn't like sauce?!) which is why this recipe is ideal for a pleasant family dinner since I can serve the chicken separate. If you are following a ketogenic lifestyle you just remove the rice.

Ingredients • Olive oil • 1 pound cherry tomatoes • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (6 oz each) • cup coarsely chopped fresh basil • ¼ cup half and half cream • Brown rice • Salad; lettuce, 2 tomatoes and cucumber

Directions 1. Clean and chop the tomatoes and cucumber. Mix with the lettuce in a serving bowl and set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 400° degrees. 3. Place tomatoes in a large shallow baking dish and sprinkle them with olive oil (making sure they are all covered). 4. Roast the tomatoes, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until they are soft. 5. Meanwhile, put on the rice to cook following the directions on the packaging. 6. While the tomatoes and rice are cooking, heat up a pan on medium heat and add a little olive oil. 7. Add the chicken and cook both sides until cooked through. Cover the chicken and let stand for 5 minutes. 8. When the tomatoes are done roasting, put half of them in a blender and mix until smooth. 9. Place the mixture in a medium saucepan with the basil and the cream; cook, stirring, over low heat, until heated through. 10. Serve the chicken topped with sauce, remaining tomatoes, rice and salad.

Enjoy!

CPR training

.I went to CPR training this weekend. To be honest I didn't feel like going at all. The sun was shining outside and I was going to sit inside all day. But I'm so happy I went. The teacher was fantastic, I met great people and I learned a lot. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The most important take away was that an adult has 8 minutes of oxygen in their lungs so the most important thing to do when someone's heart has stopped is pushing on their chest so that the heart circulates the blood. Keep on pushing until the ambulance or firefighters come to take over. I hope I never have to use this new skill...

cpr

FDA Prepping Long-Awaited Plan to Reduce Salt

."Food companies and restaurants could soon face government pressure to make their foods less salty — a long-awaited federal effort to try to prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke." - NBC News article about salt.

FDA's plan to reduce salt is great news to our health. Reducing your sodium intake through diet can lower your blood pressure by as much as 25%. There are many health risks with consuming too much salt: Hypertension High intake of salt causes water retention and promotes abnormal influx of water molecules into your blood vessels. This increases your blood volume and blood pressure. Sudden rises of blood pressure can trigger life threatening cardiovascular emergencies like strokes and heart attacks.

Abnormal Heart Development A habit of eating salty food can also heighten your risk of non-blood pressure related heart diseases. Having higher than normal blood volume means that your heart has to work much harder to provide proper circulation.

Osteoporosis Sodium inhibits your body’s absorption and utilization of calcium, leading to a loss of bone mass and increased porousness of your bones. Kidney Disorders Excess calcium and sodium that are not used by your body goes into your urine. This can increase the filtration load of your kidneys and increase the likelihood of crystal formation.

Dehydration and Swelling Feeling thirsty is a direct response after having salty food. This happens because excessive sodium in your blood draws water out of your cells and into your tissues. Dehydrated cells signal your brain for water.

Digestive Diseases Sodium regulates the acid-base balance of blood and body fluids. Too much salt can trigger acid reflux and cause heart burn and long-term damage to your upper digestive tract. Studies have shown that habitual intake of salty foods is a strong risk factor for duodenal and gastric ulcers and cancers.

Electrolyte and Hormone Imbalance Excessive sodium can impact both your electrolyte and hormone balance. Too much sodium can severely hinder the conduction of nerve impulses and induce symptoms like dizziness, muscle cramps and shakiness.

salt

Image: Pinterest

The war on fat

.I'm so thankful for the latest issue of TIME magazine covering fat and the proof that consuming fat is not dangerous to your health. It's wonderful to see our message reaching more people and opening doors to healthy lives. But many are new to the ketogenic lifestyle and will need the right information to be successful.

Excerpt from my book:

Eat more fat, Fatty! and lose weight.

The ketogenic lifestyle is a high-fat, adequate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet. In other words, eating limited healthy carbohydrates and lots of healthy fats. A ketogenic lifestyle means consuming real homecooked meals made out of quality produce, and it means feeding your body wholesome goodness. This also means removing all sugar and processed foods from your diet.

Some people think that the ketogenic diet is a high-protein diet, which is not true. You simply replace the unhealthy carbohydrates (processed foods) with high-quality carbohydrates (vegetables) and replace store bought sauces with homemade sauces made with oil or real butter. You don’t make the portion sizes bigger. You just increase the percentage of fat so that you don’t have to be hungry. It’s that simple.

TIME Magazine

Don't skip breakfast - or should we?

.We always been told that skipping breakfast will lead to weight gain, but does it really?

I fast (I don't eat after 8pm the night before and not until lunch the next day) two days every week and not only do I have more energy and feel better, I've also lost weight.

The belief that skipping breakfast is bad for you if you want to lose weight doesn’t hold up when subjected to a more rigorous study design, according to the study — “The effectiveness of breakfast recommendations on weight loss: a randomized controlled trial,” published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

eggs and bacon

Vitamins and minerals

.Since I've started eating according to the ketogenic/LCHF lifestyle I've been less sick since before the new lifestyle. A varied diet rich in whole foods offers the best combination of dietary nutrients, but I'm still curious if I'm missing any vitamins in my diet and if I will feel a difference. So today I'm starting to take daily vitamins and minerals. I will take them for a month and report if I feel a difference.

Daily vitamins and minerals Fish oil One capsule every day. Multiple studies suggest that omega-3s may provide some benefits to a wide range of diseases: cancer, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. My eye doctor has recommended that I take fish oil to help my dry eyes. Daily vitamin One a day to ensure I get all the essential vitamins. BCAA - branched chain amino acids One tablet morning and night to help muscle growth and exercise performance. Athletes use branched-chain amino acids to improve exercise performance and reduce protein and muscle breakdown during intense exercise. Branched-chain amino acids are essential nutrients that the body obtains from proteins found in food, especially meat, dairy products, and legumes. They include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. “Branched-chain” refers to the chemical structure of these amino acids. People use branched-chain amino acids for medicine.

Twice a week vitamins and minerals

Magnesium I will take magnesium twice a week to assist in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. One of the most common use for magnesium is alleviating constipation (you may recognize it as the active ingredient in well-known over-the-counter laxative medicines) which is why magnesium is helpful to take when you are following a ketogenic/LCHF lifestyle.

Vitamin D I don't get the chance to get out in the sun during the day, so I will take a vitamin D to help the immune system function and help the calcium uptake and re-absorption.

Vitamin B6 Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, is a water-soluble nutrient that is part of the B vitamin family. B vitamins help support adrenal function, help calm and maintain a healthy nervous system, and are necessary for key metabolic processes. Vitamin B6 acts as a coenzyme in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

My handy container that helps me keep track of all vitamins and also makes it easy to bring to work.

vitamins

Avocados

.One of the most common questions I receive is - how do I add more healthy fats to my diet? Many people who are following strict low-fat diets thinks that it's easy to eat more fat. Fat is everywhere, isn't it? But the trick is to add fat to healthy meals, not eating more potato chips, french fries and ice cream. My favorite way to add fat to my meals is to add an avocado. It can't get easier than that. Adding an avocado ensures that you get the fat and it adds a ton of nutrition to your meal.

Fat account for around three quarters of the calorie count of an avocado. Most of it is monounsaturated fat, in the form of oleic acid. Monounsaturated fat is considered to be a "good fat" which reduces levels of bad cholesterol in your blood and lowers your risk of stroke and heart disease. Avocados also contains around 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber, which is much more than most other fruits. Avocados has a low sugar content compared to other fruits. Avocados are an excellent source of potassium (containing more per weight than bananas!). In addition, avocados are rich in vitamin K, Vitamin B9, vitamin B6, vitamin B5 vitamin C, and vitamin E.2. Can't get any better than that!

avocados

Did you know....

....that the benefits of ginger are many. Modern scientific research has shown that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. Ginger is also a good trick for many to get rid of nausea.

Here are some additional benefits Feeling gassy? For the sake of your friends, have some ginger! Haven't had an appetite lately? Ginger will help your appetite and get the digestive system going. Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body. Do you have a nose and throat congestion? Add some ginger to your tea. Joint pain? Add some ginger essential oil in your bath to help aching muscles and joints.

Buy it here

Simply Organic Ginger

Why am I not losing weight?

.Why am I not losing weight? A question we have all asked ourselves at one point. It's so frustrating when you feel like you are doing everything right, but you are not seeing any results.

Here are some checkpoints to help you ensure you are set up for success 80% food/20% exercise You can't rely on exercise alone to see results. Yes, exercise will help burn extra calories and it's good for your health, but if you are eating more than you are burning, you won't see a change in your weight.

Don't overestimate how many calories you burn during exercise Many people think that you burn more calories during exercise than you are. You also can't rely on the workout machines to show you accurate calorie count. Be modest in your calculations.

Don't eat back all the calories you burn during exercise A lot of people use excercise as an excuse to eat more. Have you told yourself "I worked out today so I can eat this", or "I'm going to workout tomorrow, so I can enjoy this treat now"? Think about it - you burn about 250-300 calories (depending on your weight and speed) during a 30 min run, but a meal at a restaurant is about 1000 calories or more....

Don't underestimate how much you eat Are you tracking your calories and meeting the basic guidelines for a healthy diet to ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals? It's easy to lose track or underestimate your calorie intake. Make sure you document and track all of your meals - Here is a helpful template

Are you following the right workout routine? Look over your workout routine to make sure you are getting the right mix of cardio and weight training. Cardio is great for weight-loss, but you still need to incorporate strength training to preserve lean muscle. So it's crucial you get a combination of both. To summaries - keep track of your food intake - keep track of your exercise and don't use it as an excuse to overeat - Look over your workout routine to ensure you doing the right mix of exercises

Happy weight-loss and success!

Triggers for overeating

.I've been thinking a lot lately about what motivates me. In order to lose weight you need to focus on more than just what you eat. You also need to focus on your thoughts and behaviors. What makes you overeat and not exercise, and vice versa? Do you know your triggers for overeating?

Here are some of my triggers:

- I'm an emotional eater. I eat when I'm stressed, sad, tired etc - When I go out to eat with my family and friends I often overeat because "this is a special occasion so I'm allowed to eat" - I sometimes mistake a craving for thirst. As soon as I drink a glass of water the craving goes away - I've been told my whole life to "finish your plate" so I sometimes forget that I need to stop eating when I'm full - If I don't see any progress in my weight or in the way I feel I slip onto the mindset of "I might as well eat anyway because nothing is happening"

What are your triggers? Write them down. By identifying your triggers you will be able to manage and avoid them.

One of my favorite saying to help me fight cravings is - Madlene, you are smarter than that! Why would you fall for some cravings! - I also don't negotiate with myself because no one is better to come up with excuses to eat then I am! These are the best ones - I'm having a really bad day so I deserve to eat this, I don't know if I will be able to eat dinner on time so I better make sure I have a big lunch, I worked out so I deserve to eat a little bit more etc etc. When these thoughts pop up in my mind I stop them right away. I'm worth being healthy

The only cravings I give in to, because they are perfectly fine to eat.

Super Bowl party

Nike Fuel Band

.I've found one of the best motivator ever! The Nike Fuel band. So far it's motivated me run and lift weights every day since I bought it last week. I'm also taking the long way every time I need to walk somewhere to get extra points. Not only does it motivate me to reach my goal every day, but I'm also competing with friends which helps even more.

fuelband

Nike Fuel band measure all your activities and shows calories burnt, steps taken, fuel points earned etc. I love that is has a watch too, so that I don't have to wear the band and my watch.

Clean Eating and Ketogenic/LCHF recipe - Smoked Salmon Stew

.Here is a fish recipe my entire family love - smoked salmon stew. I trade the pasta for a salad to make the recipe ketogenic. I often eat any leftovers with scrambled eggs the next morning. It's a great way to add some flavor to the eggs and to add even more vitamins and minerals to your morning meal.

Smoked Salmon Stew

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 20 mins

Ingredients • 1 yellow onion • I 8-oz package smoked salmon • 1 16-oz container sour cream • 1 bunch of fresh dill • 1 tbsp olive oil • Salt and pepper • 1 cucumber • Whole wheat Linguine

Instructions 1. Chop the onion. 2. Heat up the oil in a pan on medium heat. 3. Fry to onion. 4. Cut up the salmon in strips. 5. Put on the pasta to cook according to the directions on the box. 6. Add the salmon to the pan with the onions. Let cook for a couple of minutes while stirring. 7. Add the sour cream, salt, pepper, dill and mix well. Let cook for an additional 10 minutes. 8. Slice the cucumber and put it on a serving plate. 9. Serve the pasta with the stew and cucumber slices. Enjoy!

Extra buttery chocolate balls

.I just came up with a great way to add some more butter and fat to my diet. I made a new version of the chocolate balls recipe in my book. I love making new recipes and trying new ingredients. I added some protein powder (zero carb and zero sugar. Great brand can be found here) to add some protein, but also to add a sweet flavor.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 10 mins

Extra buttery chocolate balls

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter • 1/4 cup protein powder (I used chocolate) • 1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (1 cup in the recipe and 1/4 cup for covering the chocolate balls) • 1 tsp cold strong coffee • 1/4 cup cocoa (less if you don't want a strong chocolate flavor. Add little by little)

Directions

1. Take out the butter and keep it in room temperature a little bit before you start making the chocolate balls. 2. Meanwhile, spread out 1/4 cup of the coconut flakes on a plate and set aside. 3. Add all the ingredients in a large bowl. 4. Using your hands mix all the ingredients very well. 5. Take a small amount of the mix and roll it together into a ball. Roll the ball in the coconut flakes on the plate until they are covered. Place the finished balls in a glass container with lid. 6. Once all the chocolate balls are complete close the lid on the container and place them in the fridge. They can also be kept in the freezer.

The chocolate balls are great as a snack, or with coffee/tea after lunch or dinner to add some more fat to the meal. They will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Enjoy!

extra buttery balls

Magic Bullet Coffee

.I haven't been as strict as I should be with the fat, so here we go. Starting the day with a MBC - Magic Bullet Coffee. Coffee with tiny bit of cream, two tablespoons of coconut butter and two tablespoons butter. Yum! I should be in ketosis by this weekend. The menu today:

Breakfast - Magic Bullet Coffee Lunch - Ketogenic/LCHF chicken salad Dinner - Grilled chicken and spinach salad

magic bullet coffee