DAY 5: Friday, September 18th

We are almost done with our first week! At the end of week one, my participants usually share these results: increased energy, decrease in cravings, decrease in hunger between meals, decrease in bloating/"my tummy is flat", "mental clarity", no headaches, and no more constipation.

DAY 5 AGENDA:

1. Play! Go play a sport you love, go on a hike with your family, play frisbee, go slack lining, go paddle boarding  or play basketball in a gym. Grab your family/friends and enjoy yourselves together doing what you love:) 
2. Sleep at least 8 hours/night. From here on out, plan ahead so you get enough sleep and take the time to relax 2 hours before bed {I know the mom's are thinking, "YEAH RIGHT!"} To make things more calming, turn off the TV, computer, put away phones and other gadgets. Dim the lights, read books with your kids, etc. Create a more calming environment to help everyone wind down.

Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- thank you to another participant, Kristina, for sharing this recipe with us! Although she did say she had this for dinner last night, but I thought it looked like a great breakfast, too;)

Loaded Baked Cauliflower 

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, broken down into florets
1-1/2 tbsp. organic butter (full fat...kerry gold brand is great)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or canned coconut milk)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup sharp cheddar (remember dairy is only in moderation-find raw/unpasteurized/full fat dairy)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (antibiotic free, no nitrites/nitrates, no sugar, i.e. Applegate brand)
1/2 tbsp. dried parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Steam chopped cauliflower in the microwave, along with butter and 1/4 cup of water for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until fork-tender.  Let cool for 10 minutes. Combine steamed cauliflower, coconut milk, half of the parmesan cheese, and all spices except for parsley in a Ninja or similar-style blender. Puree until smooth. Pour cauliflower puree into 9" x 9" or similar baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Top with remainder of parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and dried parsley. Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through and slightly browned on top.  

Lunch- Cucumber Salad {to go along with a main dish/protein or fat}

Ingredients:

• 2 large cucumbers sliced
• 3 large tomatoes cubed
• 1/2 purple onion sliced into thin rings 
• 1/4 cup chives chopped finely
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and serve as a side! And eat it again tomorrow because it tastes even better ;)

Dinner- Spicy Mexican Sausage Stew

Ingredients:

• 4 large sausage links, sliced into 1/4-1/2 in chunks
• 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped into medium chunks
• 1 white onion, thickly sliced and chopped in half
• 1 tomato, diced into medium chunks
• 1/2 can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can 'El Pato Tomato Sauce'
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Salt
• Pepper

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and add sausage. Stir sausage until brown on all sides. Set sausage aside. In the same pan, add all ingredients except for the cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook until tender. Then add sausage back to the pan along with cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper as desired. Turn heat down to a simmer. Cover and let cook for about 2 hours. Let cool and serve topped with cilantro and sliced avocados!

Side Dish- baked broccoli

I have been asked about simple, delicious vegetable recipes...below is my easy, tasty go to broccoli recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 broccoli heads
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
• sea salt
• pepper

Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Cut broccoli into florets. Mix in a bowl with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake for 20min or until broccoli becomes tender and starts to brown.

Snacks- hard boiled eggs with sea salt or deviled eggs using classic dijon mustard...

and homemade mayo...

(Put stick blender at bottom of jar, turn it on and let it sit at the bottom for 20 seconds. It will start to turn in to mayo and then you can bring it up to mix the rest, but don't over mix.)

Document:

-how you increased your daily movement

-what your "PLAY" activity was

-hours of sleep and relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits