Misti Freiberg's Weightloss and Fitness Journey

Berry Maple Cinnamon Flax Oatmeal

Berry Maple Cinnamon Flax Oatmeal

1tbsp flax seeds
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 packet stevia
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
dash of sea salt
1/4 cup blueberries and raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add in oats, flax seeds, cinnamon and stevia. Cook for 25 mins. Put oatmeal in bowl and top with maple syrup and berries! Enjoy!

Healthier Baked Spaghetti

Healthier Baked Spaghetti
1 lb. Ground deer (turkey or lean grass fed beef)
1 jar organic marinara sauce
1 8 once can organic tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic diced
1 small onion diced
1 tsp. each sweet leaf basil and oregano
Parsley flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup part skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesean
1/2 pkg whole wheat spaghetti noodles
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pkt stevia

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and saute about 2 mins. Add in meat and cook through. Drain fast and add back to pan. Season with salt and pepper, add sauces, basil and oregano. Sprinkle one packet of stevia to cut bitterness of tomato sauce. Simmer 20 mins for flavors to blend. Cook noodles in salted water with 1 tbsp olive oil per package directions. Drain noodles and mix with meat sauce. Place in 9x13 glass baking dish and spread evenly. Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins.

Banana Almond Flax Oatmeal

I made this yummy oatmeal for breakfast this morning. It was nice on a cool morning and very filling. You could make this with any fruit and even add some cinnamon and maple syrup.

Banana Almond Flax Oatmeal

• 1 1/2 cup water

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats

• 1 tbsp. flax seeds

• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

• pinch of sea salt

• 1 tbsp. natural almond butter

• 1/2 banana sliced

• 1 packet stevia

Bring  the water and sea salt to a boil. Add in oats, stevia, vanilla extract and flax seeds. Reduce heat simmer about 25 mins. When done, place in a bowl, add in the almond butter and stir. Slice half a banana on top and enjoy!

Mexican Quinoa Patties

I wanted to use my bean salad and quinoa that I had in the fridge, but I wanted to make it a little different. I remember looking for quinoa recipes and coming across different quinoa patty recipes and just used the same base to hold these together. All you really need to do to create that "glue" to hold any quinoa patty together is egg, whole wheat bread crumbs, and some type of low fat cheese. These turned out really good! I think these would be extremely good with some guacamole on the side!

Mexican Quinoa Patties

• 3/4 cup cooked and cooled quinoa

• 1 cup  Clean Redneck Caviar slightly mashed with potato masher

• 1 egg beaten

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

• 1/4 tsp cumin

• 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella

• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil

 Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place a golf ball size portion and shape into a ball and flatten into patties. This should make about 4 patties. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet on medium heat. Place patties in pan an brown on both sides! Serve immediately!

Clean Redneck Caviar (Bean Salad)

I love  traditional Texas Caviar, but don't like the artificial dressings and added sugar it calls for, so I came up with a clean version! You can have this for lunch by itself, serve over quinoa with some honey lemon vinaigrette, make it into Mexican quinoa patties or serve it with some organic blue corn chips at a party. I like to make a big bowl of it and put it in the fridge to eat on during the week. Its healthy, easy on the wallet, quick and very filling! You can tweak this recipe to your likings with different types of beans, tomatoes and dressing! Here is the recipe and hope you enjoy!

 

Clean Redneck Caviar (Bean Salad)

• 3-4 cans organic beans rinsed (black, great northern, garbanzo, kidney, etc)

• 2 roma tomatoes

• 1/2 container golden cherry tomatoes

• 1 pkg. sweet frozen corn (I use the steam bags and let cool)

• 1 small red onion chopped

• color bell peppers chopped (optional)

• cilantro (to taste)

• sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper

• olive oil and vinegar to taste (red wine or balsamic work well)

• stevia (if you want it a little sweeter)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for the week!

                                         Clean Redneck Caviar served with quinoa & honey
                                                                 lemon vinaigrette.

 

 

 

Exercise and Eating Healthy to Reduce Stress

I will never forget what Elle Woods said in the movie Legally Blonde about "Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy...happy people don't shoot their husbands! They just don't!" This is all so true. Do you really feel like killing someone after a good workout? I know I don't! I feel like a million bucks and that no one can touch how glorious I feel! Staying active and following a healthy diet can really help with stress in your life. I have experienced this first hand over the last several weeks. I have had some pretty stressful situations in my life here lately and when I have went for a run, walk or worked out to my Focus T25 program it really helped relieve the tension in my body. Another reason you want to exercise and eat healthy is because if you do get really stressed and your body's immune system is weakened by an unhealthy lifestyle, you could get really sick.

 Don't make excuses to not exercise or eat healthy. There are so many ways to fit it into your busy lifestyle. If you don't have an hour to devote to the gym or you hate the atmosphere of the gym, then go for a walk, run or invest in some at home workout videos. I love my Beachbody workouts. They are a life saver if it is raining out and most of the programs have shorter workouts in case you don't have much time that particular day. My T25 workout is 25 minutes and I am done! I feel like a million bucks when I'm done and relieved stress from my day! Also, if you think you can't prepare a healthy meal at home in a flash, well think again! There are many options. You could get a bag of already washed salad greens, throw some meat on a grill or in your oven and cook up some couscous to go with it...20 min dinner, tops!!!! And with Fall here, what else is better than some homemade turkey chili in the crock pot while you are away all day! It's healthy comfort food and it's done when you get home! If you are out on the go and need to eat out, plenty of restaurants and fast food chains have healthier selections...don't give in to the fatty foods!

So, when you think about all the stresses in your life and think "Ugh, I just want to hit someone!", go get your workout on and clean up your diet...it will all pay off when you are not sitting in a doctors office!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coemj2qdWMw