Protein

Pack a Punch of Protein with Hemp Hearts

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Haven’t heard of hemp hearts? It’s OK, I hadn’t either until a few months ago!

Hemp hearts are the raw shelled seeds that come from the hemp plant. They have a slightly nutty taste, similar to that of a sesame seed or pine nut. But the real goodness about hemp hearts is the punch of protein they provide. They pack a whopping 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of omegas per 30g serving. And it is so easy to incorporate them into your meals.

I have found most often the macro-nutrient people are missing in their diet is protein. We often forget the power of protein and how important a balanced diet of protein/carbohydrates/and fats is for maintaining optimal health.

These delicious little seeds are a simple way to add more protein into our diets. You can literally sprinkle the seeds on anything from soups to salads to smoothies. The possibilities are endless for this little seed to pack a punch of protein into your daily food intake.

I love to have protein balls or bars readily available when hunger strikes. Hemp seeds have become a terrific addition to these energy bites. They pack a punch of protein and a delicious nutty flavor. Check out my recipe below for Chocolate Energy Bites.

Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts are readily available at Costco, and most large supermarket chains. You can expect to pay around $8 for an 8oz sized bag.

Curious what these little seeds taste like? Manitoba Harvest is going to send one lucky reader a FREE 2oz bag to try! All you need to do is comment below with: ENTER

#HempHearts #fuelledbyhemp #hempandhappiness

Have a great week,

Meryl

Featured Recipe

Chocolate Energy Bites

These little energy bites are packed full of protein and omega 3’s.
Chocolate energy bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Medjool dates (pitted)
  • 1 Cup walnuts
  • 2 Tbsp. cacao
  • 3 Tbsp. Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts
  • 2 Tbsp. peanut butter

Directions:

In a food processor or high powered blender, grind the walnuts. Next, add all other ingredients and pulse until a thick dough has formed. Roll the dough into bite sized balls.

Enjoy!

Boost Your Metabolism

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Metabolism converts the fuel in the food we eat into the energy needed to power everything we do, from moving to thinking to growing.

I hear people say this all the time: “I’m so hungry! Ever since I started training, I’m hungry all the time.”

It’s important to realize that as your size shrinks by dropping pounds, so does your ability to burn calories. Our systems were evolved over ages to ensure survival and fertility. So when your body sheds pounds the metabolism slows to encourage weight gain.  Sounds like our bodies are working against our weight loss efforts!

Luckily with a few small changes, you can reignite your metabolism and keep your internal engine speeding along. Here are some of the best ways you can boost your metabolism:

1. Eat plenty of protein.
When we don’t get enough protein, we are more likely to store any excess calories we eat as fat. Protein takes more energy for the body to digest than carbohydrates do, so if you eat the proper amount, you’ll burn more of the overall calories you consume. My rule of thumb: eat protein at every meal. (And this is a hard rule to follow coming from a long-term vegetarian!!)

2. Turn off your brain.
Stress lowers our metabolic rate. Try to schedule time every day to de-stress and focus on something you enjoy. (Play with your kids, call a friend, go for a walk and look at the trees)

3. Move more.
Stand, stretch, walk, get up and move more often. Don’t let hours sitting at your desk go by without getting up to move your body. Need a reminder? Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour reminding you to get up and move around. (Or just drink more water, and your need to take a walk to the bathroom will force you to move every hour!)

4. Amp up your workouts.
High Intensity Interval Training. Go harder, go faster, for less time. Shorter bursts of intensity can increase mitochondria in the muscles, making it easier for the body to blast more calories.

5. Build some muscle.
Not only does muscle weigh more than fat, but it uses more energy, too.

Our Online Bootcampers are torching their metabolism this week with a meal plan based on plenty of lean protein, lots of leafy greens, and 30 minute daily workout blasts. For more info on this highly effective program, check out the following link: https://justfeelitfitness.com/online-bootcamp/

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Mug Cake

Peanut Butter, Chocolate, & Banana Mug Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup coconut flour (I used ground oats)
  • 1/2 tsp sweetener (honey, agave,coconut sugar – whatever you prefer)
  • 1/2 tsp cacao powder
  • PB2 (or 1 teaspoon peanut butter)
  • 1/4 banana
  • 1/2 cup of almond milk
  • 1 egg white
  • coconut oil

Directions:

Use a little coconut oil on a paper towel to coat the inside of the coffee mug. Measure out the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Mash the banana and add it to the dry mix. Add the other wet ingredients (egg white and almond milk). Mix with a fork until the mixture is wet, and sticky. Scoop the cake mix into your pre-greased mug and place in the microwave on a medium heat setting for 2min30sec – 3min. Tip the mug upside down to remove the cake. Slice in to pieces and top with fresh berries, coconut, crushed peanuts, etc.

Enjoy!

Recipe taken from the Living Moving Being Blog.

The Power of Protein

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At the age of 13, I became a vegetarian. On my own, I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian. This decision was not based on anything health or animal rights related. It was simply a decision I made out of disgust in a science class dissection.

Fast-forward 10 years, I still called myself a vegetarian and this just became a part of who I was and how I ate. A diet full of mostly carbs and cheese, who doesn’t love that?

In the next decade I was introduced to more of a Mediterranean diet, and I began to include eggs and fish as additional protein sources. I realize now this balance was necessary for me to have the energy it took to fuel my pregnancies. I’m still far from being able to stomach a rib-eye but now I do realize a balanced approach to carb/protein/and fat is what is really necessary to feeling optimal and to help shed pounds. You might question why protein is so powerful. How does it help you lose weight?

Here are 4 reasons why I have found protein to be so powerful:

1.       PROTEIN SATISFIES
Protein is important because it helps you feel fuller longer. Protein slows down digestion and makes us satiated for a longer period of time. When this starts to compound over the course of days and months, you save calories by not filling up all the time on empty calories, thus aiding weight loss.

2.       PROTEIN CURBS CARB HIGHS AND LOWS 
I used to constantly get light headed, dizzy, and even faint. By pairing protein with carbohydrate-rich foods, the absorption of sugar from your stomach into your bloodstream slows down, which may help keep your blood sugar from skyrocketing and also helps to ward off future cravings.

3.       PROTEIN FUELS FAT BURNING 
Your body cannot effectively burn and use fat as energy if it doesn’t have help from either carbohydrate or protein. As you are losing weight, your body loses both muscle and fat. During this process it is especially important that you have adequate protein coming in from your food in order to fuel fat burning while preserving calorie-burning lean muscle.

4.       PROTEIN PROMOTES MUSCLE REPAIR & GROWTH 
Your protein needs increase especially after bouts of intense exercise. It is beneficial to increase your protein intake on days that you exercise. Additionally, if you strength train, try having a high protein snack right after a training session when the muscle is sensitive to nutrients that it can use to repair and grow.

As you can see protein is a very powerful macronutrient. But protein alone won’t help you shed pounds. You need a balanced approach that will give you all the energy you need to power through your workouts and your daily lives, while still helping you lose weight. Personally, I like to follow a plan that is roughly 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. So what does that mean? How do you know if you’re getting enough protein?

For my size, I aim to eat 4 servings/day of lean protein. Here’s an example of how I incorporate the power of protein into a typical day:

Breakfast ½  Cup oatmeal with ¾ cup Blueberries
2 Scrambled Eggs
Snack Shakeology Vegan Chocolate meal replacement shake
Lunch Large salad w/Tuna fish
Olive oil/balsalmic dressing
2 Tangerines
Snack Chopped carrots/celery
w/ Hummus
Dinner Pistachio crusted baked fish
w/ ½ cup Quinoa
Broccoli

If you would like help learning how to eat a balanced diet according to your size and goals, please let me know.

Have a great week,
Meryl

tuna bean salad

Featured Recipe

SALMON AND WHITE BEANS

This quick and easy protein-packed mini meal is perfect. Keep canned tuna or salmon and white beans in the cupboard for a meal that can easily be transported if you bring your lunch to work.

INGREDIENTS:
1 can of water-packed tuna or salmon
1/2 cup white beans (drained and rinsed)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Flake tuna or salmon into a bowl and toss with all the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!