Health

  • Health

    I’m a Ketogenic Friendly Health & Fitness Coach

    I’m a Ketogenic Friendly Health & Fitness Coach

    Hey there, thought I would explain what this is in case you are stalking me and not sure if we are a good fit for fitness BFF’s. I’m a Ketogenic Friendly Health & Fitness Coach and I want to help you reach your goals whether you are glucose fueled or fat fueled.

    I started KETO in May 2017 and it worked for my hormone imbalance. I don’t push or recommended the Keto way of eating to anyone. It’s hard, and not meant for just losing weight.If you just want to lose weight & think keto will be the route – you will gain it all back when you reach your desired weight. This is a way of eating, not a diet.  So please know I will not push this way of eating on you. Carbs are our friends, well fiber filled ones are.  But if you are wanting Keto – I will help you achieve your goals with this path as well. ( I am down almost 45lbs to date with Keto ). It does not matter what you eat or how you eat, we can work together to achieve your goals.

    I am not a certified nutritionist, so you need to talk with your doctor before you begin any change in eating or exercise. 

    As an online health & fitness coach I have a plethora of tools to provide you in reaching your goals. Whether it’s to lose weight, get fit, gain weight or to maintain. I can help you out.  I will work with you, not pushing what works for me, I love the discovery period where we chat to find out if we are a good fit!  So let’s talk, just comment below and leave your email & we can begin. Whatever your health & fitness goals are let’s reach them together.  Whether you want to use JUST nutrition, or just fitness or both – I can & want to help you achieve your goals.

  • Health

    Stuck In a Weight Loss Plateau, Try These 3 Easy Steps

    Stuck In a Weight Loss Plateau, Try These 3 Easy Steps

    Weight loss is hard, keeping it off is hard and you are motivated, staying true to your nutrition plan & fitness schedule and then…. Stuck In a Weight Loss Plateau Try These 3 Easy Steps to break through.  Before I list them, you have to know its not an overnight remedy. This is every day, all day – for life.  But don’t worry you will break through.  So don’t rearrange those calories or macros just yet.

    Stuck In a Weight Loss Plateau, Try These 3 Easy Steps

    Step 1

    Are you getting 8 hours of sleep a night? Every night!!! YES 8 hours, your body needs to heal, recover and rest and without that sleep your body can’t and won’t work properly and your weight will suffer. Yes you may feel great on 5 but your body is designed for 8 so try to get to bed a little earlier tonight and get the rest your body needs.

    Step 2

    Are you drinking enough water? Not water disguised as coffee or in tea, but actual clear, plain water.  If your body doesn’t get enough water it stores what it does get and you retain it and thus the scale does not move.  My gauge for am I drinking enough, is my pee is very light yellow, almost clear. If it’s clear that is too much.  So yes, chug that water to move that scale!

    Step 3

    Are you eating the right amount of calories EVERY day? For example, if your calorie intake is 1600 you need to eat that EVERY SINGLE DAY! Don’t be at 900 today, then 1100 tomorrow and then 1800 the next. Every day – 1600!!  Your body knows how much it needs, and if you don’t give it your body will store what it does get as it thinks its being starved. So yes EAT your calories. But make sure they are healthy, non processed calories. If I can’t grow it I don’t want to eat it. I find the days, weeks my calorie intake is low, I don’t lose weight but I actually gain. But the weeks I eat my calorie intake every day I lose weight.

    Stuck In a Weight Loss Plateau, Try These 3 Easy Steps

    So there you go. 3 easy steps to bust through your plateau. If you are doing these religiously, 6-8 weeks and nothing is changing, then it’s time to look at your macros, calorie amount with what you are fueling your body with ( any foods with hidden sugars & carbs) and fitness levels.

    If you are stuck with where to begin, I will work with you. I have plateaued a few times over this last year and it’s when I buckle down that I break through it, so don’t hesitate to send me an email at heathersrunningdiary@gmail.com and we can work together to bust you out!

  • Health

    Is Going Gluten Free Really Healthier?

    Is Going Gluten Free Really Healthier?

    About 4 years ago (2014) I was reading an article that contained common health issues that go un-diagnosed as a gluten allergy/sensitivity. Most people dismiss these symptoms as lack of sleep or just that way their bodies are.  I wish I would have saved that list but I didn’t & it was either 5 or 7 symptoms and my hubby had every single one.  So after reading it to him, we decided to have him go gluten free for a month. At the end of that month every single one of those symptoms went away. So we were convinced that gluten was the cause and continued on in a gluten free diet. At first it was just hubby, but creating 2 different meals 3 times a day became a bit much so I switched our whole family’s eating to gluten free for ease of cooking.  That was 4 years ago, but in that time I have come to realize is going gluten free really healthier?

    Let me explain.

    Whether you are gluten free for medical reasons or a lifestyle change, gluten free at the heart is healthy. But it’s the substitution items that are not.  So you can’t have whole wheat bread for your lunch,.instead you go and purchase whole grain gluten free bread.  A couple things you are going to notice right away:

    • the gluten free loaf will be way smaller in size
    • the gluten free loaf will be more money
    • & the gluten free loaf may feel/taste like Styrofoam

    But look closer at the nutrition label of both breads.  Things you will notice:

      • The G/F loaf will be smaller portion
      • The sugar count in the g/f loaf will usually be higher
      • The starch count in the g/f loaf will be higher
      • The protein count in the g/f loaf will be lower

    Is Going Gluten Free Really Healthier?

    So if you are trying to eat healthier, do you really want more sugar, more starch and less protein in your diet on a regular basis? I know we don’t. Most gluten free breads/pastries/pastas have to use 3-4 other types of flour to mimic what wheat flour does. That always increases the sugar & starch count and those sources usually don’t have a source of protein in them either.

    So instead of doing a gluten free substitute item, we have actually gone gluten free.  Instead of using gluten free buns for hamburgers, we use ice burg lettuce and wrap our yummy burgers in it. We have incorporated more veggies and nuts into our eating. We have began to utilize fat head bread/bagels into our eating, this is made with almond flour & lots of cheese.  We think we need bread but we really don’t. And our bodies are so much healthier as a result.

    A quick note on pasta, yes you can find gluten free pasta that looks & tastes like what we could call normal pasta but read those labels. Instead look for pasta that is made from edamame, or black beans, or zucchini.  Much more healthier

    We read every label, what you think may be gluten free sometimes really isn’t.  And wheat flour is in A LOT of items. So please read the labels, & really ask yourself if the added sugar & starch is necessary to your way of eating?  You have questions please ask, you need some recipe ideas let’s connect on social media as I am 4 years into the gluten free lifestyle & have tried lots of things.

  • Health

    80 Day Obsession Timed Nutrition While on Keto

    Updated – scroll to the bottom of the post

    80 Day Obsession Timed Nutrition While on Keto Way of Eating

    Before you begin any diet, way of eating or exercise regime you need to talk with your licensed medical practitioner.  I am not liable for any allergies, injuries or other that could result in you not talking with your doctor first.

    Let me start off by saying I am not a Beach Body Coach at the time of writing this post, ( As of April 2018 yes I am, half way through 80DO I decided to take the plunge ) I am not a licensed nutritionist & you should always talk with your doctor about anything.   This is my journey and how I plan on attacking the timed nutritional that is highly recommended to go along with the new 80 Day Obsession by Beach Body. 80 days of intense workouts, 80 days of a specific eating plan all while sticking to my macros on the Keto Way of Eating. This is my way of tackling the 80 Day Obsession Timed Nutrition While on Keto Way of Eating. If you have no idea what i am talking about, no hard feelings if you move onto the next post. If you do know of this program & are curious or have some info to add please keep reading and feel free to comment below.

    I signed up for Beach Body on Demand which offers a whole lot of workout videos at such an inexpensive cost that I couldn’t resist. So while it is -20 and the ground is covered in snow I can workout from home.  I have completed the #21dayfix and saw 4 inches drop off my waist so my next challenge is going to be the intense, new program 80 Day Obsession. I really like how the programs are outlined, they provide how to eat, what to eat, when to eat along with the workouts. Everything you need to get that body ready in 12 weeks.  So looking over the nutrition package a lot, I mean A LOT of the foods, are not keto friendly. So what to do. Well…. this is what I plan on doing.

    80 Day Obsession Timed Nutrition While on Keto Way of Eating

    The key to a lean, ripped, muscle body is not just in the workouts you do but also the nutrition you fuel your body with.  You deal more with calories, but with Keto you count macros. So this is my plan.

    Beach Body has this really neat portion control guide to help with how much you eat. colored containers of different sizes and each color represents one of the following food groups:

      • Vegetables
      • Fruits
      • Carbs
      • Proteins
      • Healthy fats
      • Seeds 7 dressing
    • Oils & nut butters

    They give you a way to calculate how many calories you want to eat to either maintain, grow or lose weight and then tell you how many of each container to eat in a 24 hour period. With 80 Day Obsession, the package not only tells you how many of each container to eat in a day but also when to eat it in relation to when you do your workout. It really is simple to follow this outline.  But eating Keto – mmhhh. The struggle is real. So….

    80 Day Obsession Timed Nutrition While on Keto Way of Eating

    I did the calculations to find out what plan of eating I need to be on based on my weight & goal to lose weight. In their language I am on eating plan B. So the free downloadable guide you get with the workout tells me when, what and where in my day to eat.  So I don’t have the containers, I don’t need the portion control as being on Keto for 9 months already I am ok with that.  I will be using My Fitness Pal  to keep track of my macros ( carbs, fats & proteins ) and will put keto friendly foods into each segment when I eat it.  All while sticking to my macros. What is nice is the list that Beach Body gives to what foods are in what category there are many foods that are keto friendly on that list.

      • Vegetables will be keto friendly ones, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower
      • Fruits will be more berries then fruit as they are lower in carb count
      • Carbs – this one will be the hard one, but it will be very low doses of healthy, clean carbs as these guys work as fuel for intense workouts
      • Proteins – bacon baby!!  – not just bacon but any meats
      • Healthy fats – not a problem as most of keto is healthy fats
      • Seeds & dressing – vinegar and small handfuls of peanuts, almonds
    • Oils & nut butters –   olive oil, almond anything

    So eating won’t be an issue, the amount of eating may be, but I will update this post as I get going into the program. I plan on following the guide for optimal results, while maintaining my keto macros.

    During what Beach Body calls the workout block they suggest drinking an energize drink, a hydrate one & recover shake. Now as a good business model they offer these products for sale. However I had to do some research on the macro count to ensure they fit into my goals for the day.

      • Energize is a pre- work out shake to down to do just what it says – energize.
      • During your workout it’s suggested to drink a hydrate shake that fills back the electrolytes you are losing during. Now I can’t drink anything during a  workout, it sloshes around in my stomach and makes me feel ill. If I need anything during, its usually a mouthful of water to wet my mouth & keep going. So this step I will be be skipping.
    • Now after your work out it’s suggest to drink a shake called Recover post workout formula. And When you consume proteins is important so consuming this supplement right after a workout is ok as my body is going to use it before it can store it.

    80 Day Obsession Timed Nutrition While on Keto Way of Eating

    So at first glance, I don’t see this being an issue. The timing of when to eat, yes that I can see will be a struggle at first, but I have 80 days to get into this groove and work on the best version of me I can do.

    Follow along with me on Instagram, for this journey in real time. I will also post updates in this post as the 80 days go along.  But you can do anything you put your mind to, and that includes eating clean & healthy.  And yes, encouragement from you will help me out too!


    This post created on Feb. 20, 2018

    Feb 27, 2017

    I am finding the whole nutrition is putting me over calorie intake & way above my macro count. So the modification is I am sticking with the work out block nutrition and if I am still hungry and have macros left then I will eat at a listed interval. But one thing to note is when you are in full ketosis and fully fat adapted your body uses fuel differently & get’s the fuel from different sources so what I put into my body will differ then someone not on Keto. Please talk with  your doctor if you are struggling to meet macros or adjust your body to them.

    April 27, 2018

    I am now an Online Beach Body Coach & fully support working out while following the Ketogenic way of eating. If you want to utilize the tools of Beach Body & myself as your coach please start here to connect with me & I will be in touch with you within 24 hours.

  • Health

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    If you follow along on my Instagram account, you will see food posts and more often then not they contain Spinach Balls.  So this post is about them and how you can Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach.

    Now, let me start at the beginning. We are gluten free, dietary issues with my husband so we are always on the look out for gluten free taco like shells, wraps that we can eat. So when I went Keto, this hunt was even harder..thankful Pinterest was my rescue. Now the recipe I found is not the one I use, well i don’t actually use a recipe but i will share that with you in a bit & trust me you will want to keep reading – 20 minute ready delicious balls of spinach. TRUST ME!  We started by making these spinach balls more as a wrap for taco night & thus turned them into balls for easier eating enjoyment.

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    Let’s first talk spinach.

    Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein and choline. ( See this website for more info )

    Now I remember as a kid, I HATED the stuff, yuk – put it right up there with liver & onions. But since going Keto I have eaten more spinach by choice then I have all my life. And a little secret, my kids LOVE it too!! So much so that rarely do we have left overs. I know right?!  I guess cooking it right means it is actually tasty & is now a staple in our Keto way of eating.

    One of our ways to eat it is fresh, I buy baby spinach leaves in a bag from Costco and just chop it up finely and sprinkle on pizza, soup, or over mashed cauliflower ( potatoes).  But when I have 20 minutes I make spinach balls. We usually eat these 1-2 times a week, that is how yummy they are. Here we go!

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    In an 8 cup glass measuring cup ( something that can handle HOT water) I pile the spinach in, wash it first but then just dump it into the cup. I push it down but not packing it in, then fill that measuring cup with boiling water and put a lid on it for 2-3 minutes. The longer the water the softer the spinach so go off your taste.  Now rinse out that spinach in ice cold water to stop the cooking process.  Ring it out, yes the spinach. Over the sink I squeeze it, and then squeeze some more, even use paper towel if you need. But get that water out of it or you will have mush balls.

    And your rung out spinach needs to go onto a cutting board now and ready for chopping.

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    And chop away, small little pieces, the smaller the pieces the more the kids will eat it. And once it’s chopped into fine pieces, put it back into that measuring bowl.   Add 3-4 eggs, if you got out all the water from the spinach then 3 should be fine, but if not go with 4. I like to add a teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt and a spoonful of hemp heart seeds.  I use up to 1/2 a cup of mozzarella cheese, the more cheese the runner the balls will be, and up to 1/4 cup of almond flour. Again if you drained the water really well you might not need the full amount of almond flour but if it’s still wet, then add a bit more flour. Mix it all together, really well. If you like flavor sometimes I add chunks of orange sharp cheese to the mix as well. Right now it does not look nice at all, its a mushy ball of ingredients.

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    Hopefuly your oven is preheated to 400 degrees, and use a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Wash your hands, it’s about to get messy.  I scoop up a small handful,squeeze it into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet, leave a bit of space between each ball as they will flatten out slightly and spread out too.

    Keep Calm & Eat Your Spinach

    15 minutes in the oven is all they need, the bottoms will brown a bit, if you want a crunchier ball then leave in 3-5 minutes longer. But either way, they are delicous, and great the next day cold if you they last that long. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family, and if you don’t that just means more spinach for us to eat & enjoy.

  • Health

    Low Carb, Gluten Free Stuffing to go with Turkey

    Low Carb, Gluten Free Stuffing to go with Turkey


    If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen a very colorful looking low carb, gluten free stuffing to go with turkey that I made to go with our Christmas dinner this year. Now I have no clue the nutritional value nor exact measurements for ingredients.  But I will list the ingredients & what I did so you too can achieve a low carb, gluten free delicious option for your stuffing next turkey time!

    Low Carb, Gluten Free Stuffing to go with Turkey

    First up – the bread. Stuffing without bread is just gross.  Of course I grew up with whole grain bread stuffing ( yummy ) but then a few years ago switched to gluten free bread which was equally as good but not so filling as to sit in  your stomach like a lead balloon which was nice. But since going Keto this year, we needed an alternative that was gluten free AND low carb.

    So I searched my favorite recipe place – Pinterest for a low carb, gluten free bread recipe.  I found this one on keto connect. The picture above is actually my  loaf, right before I cubed it up for stuffing. The keto connect authors have even added this receipe into My Fitness Pal under KetoConnect – Best Keto Bread, while you are there friend me 🙂 

    When the loaf was cooled to room temperature, I cubed it up, it did crumble a bit more then regular bread but not too much that I had to be worried about mush for stuffing.

    Now, my rule to stuffing is:

    colorful

    not mushy

    almost crunchy

    delicious

    cooked inside the turkey for extra flavoring

    Low Carb, Gluten Free Stuffing to go with Turkey

    The cubed bread in a bowl, I added a diced red onion (I like red for it’s flavor) diced green pepper for color, a RED apple with the skin, chopped celery, minced fresh garlic and seasoning. Seasoning would be celery seed, ground fresh black pepper, pink Himalayan salt, poultry seasoning, a pinch of dill, fresh parsley and a hint of cilantro.  Of course seasoning is to taste so you be the judge of how much you put in or what you put in. I don’t add a liquid as the natural juice from the turkey is enough, whether through cooking or basting.

    Then into a stuffing bag and into the cavity of the turkey it went. Little did I know that my turkey would not produce a lot of natural liquid, so my bread did crumble more in the baking process then I would have liked. The one thing I will do next time is add an egg or 2 to the mixture to help hold it together or buy a juicy turkey.

    So there you have it, our delicious low carb, gluten free stuffing that even my kids ate it up as it was so delicious.  Make sure to follow me on Instagram as that is where I post a lot of my favorite cooked dishes that are low carb.