Keeping it Clean + Lean: The Starbucks Strategy (Part 1)

Now, while I definitely do recommend that in search of finding that balanced, happy, healthy life, there are certain habits that will have to go out the window; but I also feel that there are some that are non-negotiables. And Starbucks is one of them - for me anyways! Ha ha :-)

Today, I share a few of my tips + tricks for keeping my Starbucks trips in check! Enjoy :-)

Rule #1 - A Single Indulgence is Still An Indulgence
We have all heard that moderation is key - but what does that really mean on a day-by-day basis? One of the rules I've found that really works in the long term is that it's fine to enjoy life and indulge a little - but I like to keep it so a "Single Indulgence" instead of a "Double"!

What this means is that if I am going to treat myself, I choose either a drink or a 'pastry' as an indulgence - never both. 

If I can't stop dreaming about Gingerbread Lattes  (Mmmmmm) I recognize that the sugary-sweet coffee is my treat - and save the goodies from the 'snack bar' for another time. (I am getting my sugar + calories from my coffee, and minimizing/eliminating extra calories from food).

If instead, I decide that to treat myself to piece of my fav Reduced-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, I'll order just a normal brewed coffee with just a splash of soy milk + honey. (I am getting my sugar + calories from the banana cake, and minimizing the sugar/calories in my drink).

Rule #2 - Say No to Portion Distortion 
During my Business Degree, I got to spend a semester studying and living in Copenhagen and my gosh, I've got to say - what an eye-opener! It's funny, but I never truly realized how incredibly super-sized the whole world of North American food really is until I got to see how other people in the world live. Other beautiful, fit, trim, active, healthy people, that is... ha! (I'm not joking - everyone in Scandinavia looks like a walking supermodel and when you peek inside homes they really do look like a page from an Ikea magazine ha ha :))

So what's their secret?? Their portion sizes aren't distorted like ours! Denmark's "jumbo" sized coffee is the size of our Grande (medium)! Venti cups literally don't exist. I'm pretty sure if you showed a Dane the container that 7-11's "Big Gulp" comes in, they'd think they were on an episode of Punk'd.

My solution to our problem of "Portion Distortion" is simple - Starbucks' Venti, Second Cup's large and Tim Hortons' Large & Extra Large sizes, do not exist.  They are not even an option.

To really make this make sense - keep in mind that the average stomach is the size of a clenched fist -- doesn't it seem a like a bit of overkill to consume something that is about 2-3x that volume? I mean, really? If we actually take a moment to think about this, do we really need a LITRE of coffee?  Or do we just order that size because we have created a habit that we are so used to, we don't even think twice about it?

This brings me back to a point I have brought up many times before. When I talk about sustained weight loss - dropping the pounds and inches you want to drop - then actually keeping them off, it really is about re-inventing your set of "eating rules" and replacing unhealthy, destructive habits with happy, healthy ones.

By making the choice to remove the "Venti" size from your mind, you are creating a new way of thinking and I promise you, this truly is one of the secrets to a long, happy, healthy life!

Rule #3 - Your New Favorite Word: Mod
"Mod" is the hospitality industry's lingo for "to modify" - or to request a few changes to the menu item you're ordering. In general, the way I look at it is how can I cut calories, sugar and fat from my favorite drinks without having to doom myself to very sad life of never ever tasting another Gingerbread Latte? (ha! Can you tell I've got a weakness for GBL's? lol)

You've probably heard of the whole "half-sweet" idea before - and this one is GREAT! Ordering your latte "half-sweet" means that instead of putting 4 pumps of Gingerbread syrup into your Grande, they only put 2. Yes, it will taste a little different at first, especially if you are used to the 4 pumps, but back to my earlier point - to be successful with health and fitness in the long term we must be willing to change some of our habits and find a way to enjoy our new way of thinking. For example, try telling yourself the Half-Sweet Gingerbread Latte tastes better than the full-sweet version, and focusing on how sneaky you are for cutting all those extra calories and sugar from your diet - and trust me - before you know it, you won't even be able to taste the difference!

Another great little option that I love is the Americano Misto. I like to call this one my secret little weapon. This one's a great little replacement for a Cafe Latte - the only difference is it replaces 1/2 of the milk with water - saving you half the calories and carbs. (Awesome.)

And in closing, of course, my wise words for the day: 

“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed)"  - Dr. Seuss 

Yours in strength and stretchiness,

- Brooke
xoxo

Lean, Mean + Clean Eats: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with green salad -- When I am not dieting for a show, I will add some extra goodies to my salad (cheese/nuts/seeds/broken crackers) and throw a bottle of dressing into my bag for a quick lunch

Hi All!

A short + sweet recipe for anyone looking to "spice" up their lunchbox this week!! ;-)

Brooke's Clean Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1 package ground chicken

½ small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, pressed (garlic press)
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ - ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
A few shakes of sea salt + fresh ground black pepper

 Line a baking sheet with tin foil and preheat oven to 350 F. Chop the onion and press the garlic and toss into a frying pan over medium-low heat with olive oil. Soften for 3-5 mins until lightly golden, then add to a mixing bowl along with all other ingredients. Mix together until all ingredients are evenly distributed. I like to use a tablespoon to grab the meat out of the bowl and form into meatballs from there. This way’s nice because it also keeps them all the same size so they bake evenly. ;) The more you know... lol!

Bake for 10 mins, turn the meatballs over, and bake for another 5-7 mins. I always just break one apart to make sure they're cooked all the way through - just keep in mind they will have a little bit of a red/pinkish color to them because of all the hot sauce in the recipe! :-) Let cool + enjoy!

Way to mess up my name, Starbucks lady... ! ha ha ha ;-p

Make-a-Meal
For a quick and light meal, I love serving these meatballs with carrot sticks + celery, some Bolthouse fresh ranch dip and a handful of tamari almonds or throwing them into a big salad!

Depending on my fitness goals (if my meal includes carbs) I’ll add these into a bowl with some quinoa and a bunch of fresh chopped veggies. I like grated carrot, chopped green onions, chopped bell peppers, a few crumbles of feta (the goat’s milk type is my fav!) a few slices of avocado and a few shakes of tamari or soy sauce. Seriously delish! 

Lastly, a classic and comforting twist: spaghetti and meatballs! I'm not a huge fan of pasta, so I use spaghetti squash instead of noodles (a GREAT low carb, less processed substitute) and add my favorite tomato sauce -- Newman's Own and some mushrooms + onions!

Fit Tip <3

I do my grocery shopping between Save-On, Superstore, Sobeys and Costco and between all of these stores, Superstore's ground chicken is priced true to it's weight and normally runs around $5.50 for a pack, whereas Save-On sells the exact same package for $7. I know it's only $1.50 but when you go through as much ground chicken as I do, it adds up! ;) What can I say? My dad used to pack us all into the car on a Saturday to drive across town, to the Brick, when he heard a radio commercial saying they were giving away free coffee mugs and hot dogs.... so it goes without saying.... I know a good deal when I see one! lol!

 My mantra for this week is "When we write down our dreams, they become goals; when we act upon our goals, they become reality." So dream big, work hard, and don't you dare stop until you succeed!

Have a lean, mean + clean day fitfam!!!

xo Brooke

Bikini Bod Snacking: My 6 Current Snacking Obsessions (all around 200 cals!)

Well helloooo there beautiful!

After a week or so of being MIA, dont you worry, don't you worry child -- I'm BACK ;-) Wonder what I was up to? Ohhh just dancing the weekend away under the sunshine and stars at the very best jamboree there is... BMan.. there's just something about hearing your very favorite songs, live, in a big open field with a beer in your hand (yes, even us bikini athletes have to find a way to find balance in life and not forget to enjoy the little things! ;) I will note: this weekend's Bud Light Lime was my FIRST beer of the whole summer!!! Balance, balance, balance. 

Anyways, I've been meaning to put this post together forever now, and am so excited to share some of my absolute fav foods at the mo. These are all super easy, super simple and nice + balanced snack ideas that are great little ideas to have up your sleeve. Short + sweet post for today. Enjoy. 

1 cup 1% cottage cheese topped with ½  cup sliced red grapes

Nutrition: 260 cals | 32g protein | 3g fat | 29g carbs

Why's this snack brilliant? Well... first of all because it  (in a really weird way) kinda reminds me of cheesecake... and well.. come on, we all know that's just awesome! Something about the savory/salty flavor of the cheese, and the sweetness and crunchiness of the grapes.. i just love it! Instead of just eating a full cup of grapes, which are super sweet and pretty high carb, I balance this snack out by adding some protein and 'volume' with the cottage cheese. 

A sliced apple topped with 1 tbsp Maranatha all-natural almond butter + a sprinkle of cinnamon

MMMM... apples + cinnamon = 

Nutrition: 180 cals | 3g protein | 8g fat | 26g carbs

Why's this snack brilliant? Adding cinnamon to this high-carb snack actually helps slows down the whole digestion process. The benefits? Your blood sugar levels jump less than they would have by eating the apple sans cinnamon and you feel full longer :) score!  

2 tomato-basil rice cakes with ½ cup 1% cottage cheese

Nutrition:  200 cals | 18g protein | 5.5g fat | 25g carbs

Why's this snack briliant? This is another one of those "reminds me of" snacks. And it kinda "reminds me of" pizza! Seriously delish... just so very delish. 

2 plain rice cakes topped with 1 tbsp Maranatha all-natural chocolate almond butter + ½ a banana (if you really want a sweet tooth fix, sub the 2 plain cakes for 1 chocolate chip caramel rice cake! ;) hehe)

Nutrition: 215 cals | 5g protein | 9g fat | 32g carbs

Why's this snack briliant? Hollywood has it's power couples, and the world of food has almond butter. Ha ha. Yes, it's really THAT good for you! Not only is it a super-healthy fat, it's also packed with 7g of protein per serving. Protein being a bit more complex than the simple carbs (the rice cakes) takes longer for our body to digest, which is another bonus. Are you noticing a trend here? ha ha! Slow digesting foods are your friend. ;-) 

2 cups watermelon cubes dipped in ½ cup vanilla-flavored greek yogurt 

Nutrition:  215 cals | 12g protein | 2g fat | 38g carbs

Why's this snack briliant? Oh my goodness... my mouth is watering just thinking about this one! Gotta make this explanation quick. Greek yogurt is higher in protein than just regular yogurt, which helps prevent muscle loss, and fills you up. Also, watermelon is a superfood and the vanilla with the melon-y goodness is just unreal... seriously. Schwiiiing! (FYI: nutrition info listed is for Oikos 0%)

A banana sliced down the middle and spread with 1 tbsp Maranatha all-natural almond butter

Nutrition:  145 cals | 3g protein | 8g fat | 18g carbs

Bonus: Pretty much just an upgrade to the classic PB and banana combo... but there's just something so irresistible about the more mild, but creamier flavor of almond butter. Try it try it, try it! You gonna like it. ;) #OBSESSED.

I've got just some regular PB with my banana
here but this picture's from a few months ago.
Although PB and banana is unreal, I
am just absolutely in LOVE with almond butter
right now so I switch the 2 up :) 

Now THAT was a good meal! My little
tomato-basil rice cake thrown into a
dinner... yes. I like it THAT much!

There's definitely plenty of other great, smart options out there that are easily searched up on pinterest, fitness magazine websites like fitnessrxwomen (my fav) and blogs. A healthy, happy lifestyle starts with small changes that become habits, so for the next 7 days, I challenge you all to focus on one small change: commit to yourself to snacking smarter! :-)

Until next time, remember "commitment is staying loyal to what you said you would do, long after the mood you said it in has left you".  

Have a happy, healthy, fit and fabulous week! 

xo Brooke 

Fast Food, Brilliant Edition: 3 Fast-Food Salads That Won't Derail Your Diet!

Good Good Gooood Morning All! 

I'm really excited about this little post today - short and simple but hopefully valuable to you! :)

I work in Car Sales and for any of you that have had friends or family work in the industry, you'll know - there is a LOT of fast food involved! One of the keys to being successful in sales is that you've gotta BE there to sell - so we definitely do spend a lot of time at work and a lot of the days will revolve around someone asking "What's for lunch?!" The guys take a few minutes to negotiate through which kind of burger or fried junk they should get today, then someone runs out to grab a bunch of brown greasy bags filled with sweaty beef and french fries for the team to quickly chow down on. 

While it definitely makes for a challenge, I am able to stick to my guns (almost) all of the time and enjoy the healthy, nutritious meals that I've packed for myself the night before.  I 110% believe that dedicating time on a regular basis for prepping foods for the week is one of the keys to living a healthy, happy life, but -- I also understand that sometimes that just doesn't work! I'm at the gym untill 11, I'm out of groceries, I stayed at work late...  life happens! 

Now.. obviously eating fast food every day isn't going to get you anywhere towards any health goals you may have, but what I'm here to tell you is there IS a way to still grab food from fast food restaurants and not get too derailed! What I think is the key here is, is how often you're grabbing food and what you are grabbing! Personally, I try to keep it to 1-2 meals per week max, and only eat from places that I can get my food to order -- point at a big table of veggies in a row and tell them how much I want of each! As for the what -- here are a few of my favs! :) 

Mucho Burrito

If I could eat one style of food for the rest of my life, it would be Mexican. I LOVE Mexican. There are pretty much a bajillion types of salsas and types of tacos out there... Ooohh just thinking of all of the options gets me excited haha! Fresh salsa, and limes and cilantro and beans and spices.. yum!

Mucho Salad!! I switched it up with this one and
went with steak instead of chicken. 

Mucho’s kinda a hidden gem because when most people think Mexican, a lot of people think more of the burritos and quesadillas which aren’t that awesome. If you take a big tortilla, add a pile of rice, beans and one of the fattier cuts of meat (beef or pork) it’s easy to end up with a really carby, starchy, heavy meal. The key here is to load up on the fresh veggies and salsas and keep the protein nice and lean and you can absolutely build a great, nutritious and balanced meal! This salad's super filling and I've even converted some of the GUYS at work to salad-eaters with this lunch! 

What I Order:

Salad, no bowl. Romaine, black beans, sautéed veggies, corn + black bean salsa, chopped red salsa, medium red salsa, cilantro and guac  <3 When I’m looking for a little treat and I’m not dieting for a show, I’ll add a side of the tortilla chips!

Pita Pit

Ok.. this is hands-down my #1 FAV at the moment!! Lots of fresh veggies that are full of nutrients, a lean protein and low sugar/calorie dressing = awesome. The salads here are really similar to Subway, but they have a few extra exciting veggies that Subway doesn’t, and a few light salad dressings so the selection’s a bit bigger. I really love how you can throw veggies on the grill too – they add volume to the chicken so it makes the salad more filling, which is always a nice little bonus! The guys at work love this option too and order their lunch as a pita instead of salad.

What I Order:
Small “Make Your Own” salad with Extra Chicken. I get romaine, sprouts, green pepper, cucumber, tomato and banana peppers in the salad bowl, chicken, mushrooms, red onion and pineapple on the grill, and hot sauce as a salad dressing. If it fits into my meal plan at the time, I also get them to put some tzaziki on the side... sooo good.. you don’t even know!

Subway

Can you handle the heat??? ha ha!
Spicy Subway salad

Another one of my go-to grab-a-salad spots... Subway! There’s so many of them around, so even on roadtrips through small towns.. you can pretty much rely on spotting one. The chicken portion size here is 2.5 oz, so again, I get extra chicken (a good portion size for a 150 lb female is 4-6 oz).

What I Order:

Chicken salad with Extra Chicken (plain, not teriyaki which is loaded with sugar and other junk). Shredded iceberg, tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, banana peppers and hot sauce as the salad dressing.

Now, while these options are a great alternative to grabbing a burger and fries from the food court or drive thru, I do want to mention that because they are from fast food restaurants, the food is still going to be fairly processed. For this reason, I do want to remind you that buying actual chicken breasts from the store, cooking them yourself and chopping your own veggies is absolutely the best way of fueling your daily activities!

Until next time... remember that "your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow".  

Whatever you have going on in your life today -- Rock it Out!!! ..... life's too short not to! ;)

xo Brooke