Peppermint Mocha Latte

Come the holiday season, I love peppermint mocha lattes. But, they’re full of a ton of additives. The ingredients of Starbucks version (my personal favorite) are: espresso, milk, mocha sauce (corn syrup, water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, cocoa (processed with alkali 13%), potassium sorbate, artificial flavor), and peppermint-flavored syrup (sugar, water, natural flavors, preservative, sodium benzoate, citric acid), whipped cream, and dark chocolate.

Calories in one Tall nonfat Peppermint Mocha Latte with no whip (add 70 calories and 7 grams of fat for whip :( 

Hmm. This prompted me to ask our incredible nutritionists to whip up their own version. I couldn’t be happier, and I think you’ll love it too. If you swap almond milk for nonfat milk and leave out the honey, you can enjoy it vegan.

Total Time: 10 min.

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 5 min.

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

½ cup nonfat milk (or unsweetened almond milk)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. raw honey (optional)

¼ tsp. pure peppermint extract

1 cup brewed black coffee (or 1 shot espresso)

1 fresh mint leaf (for garnish; optional)

Preparation:

1. Bring milk, cocoa powder, and honey (if desired) to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from heat; mix vigorously with a whisk until frothy.

3. Pour coffee into a large serving mug; top with milk mixture.

4. Garnish with mint leaf if desired.

Here’s the nutrition details for the vegan version:

Quick Full Body Workout

Try this full body workout circuit! You can do this right at home, no equipment needed! This will work your core, upper body, & lower body!

5 Delicious Shakeology Desserts

Vanilla Almond Energy Balls
These sweet pick-me-ups taste like truffles. Get the recipe!

Shakeology Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
The classic flavors of chocolate and peanut butter meld together in this brownie-like treat. Get the recipe!

Peanut Butter Shakeology Cups
Peanut butter and chocolate combine in a new take on this classic candy. Get the recipe!

Vanilla Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Make your own guilt-free ice cream with Shakeology and peanut butter. Get the recipe!

Chocolate Shakeology Pudding
This creamy chocolate pudding will satisfy your sweet tooth. Get the recipe!

P.S. Don’t love peanut butter? Don’t be shy about substituting!

Sexy Santa: 21 Days to a New You

This time of year it is easy to come up with an EXCUSE to pack on the pounds. You just throw on some over-sized sweaters and call it a year... Haha!

Then we get all FRANTIC on New Years Eve with goals and trying to undo all the DAMAGE by spring break and summer. Why wait till New Years or wait till there's more work to put in?!

WHAT IF we took the 1st THREE WEEKS of December to get our SEXY SANTA on?!

I am NOT saying skip Turkey Dinner... or even Black Friday left-overs... those can be your FINAL indulgences BEFORE operation SEXY SANTA begins... but come that Monday, December 1st... We would be ALL IN for 3 weeks so that come the week of Christmas we can slip into something CUTE, hang out with our friends and family, knowing we look and feel our BEST... and then enjoy the festivities, knowing you can get RIGHT BACK ON TRACK the following week!

If that sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, please go to http://form.jotform.co/form/31804216858861 to complete a brief application and I will shoot you over all of the deets before selecting the 10 SEXY SANTAS I will be coaching during those 3 weeks! 

Excited to END THIS YEAR strong and celebrate this holiday season with LOTS of pics, pounds dropped and friends made! 

[NOTE: This is an ONLINE challenge and can be done right from the comfort of your own home!]  http://form.jotform.co/form/31804216858861 

Glazed Cinnamon Yams

By making a few substitutions to this classic fall side dish, we’ve made it healthier without sacrificing the flavor.

Total Time: 1 hr. 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 60 min.
Yield: 12 servings, 2/3 cup each

Ingredients:
2½ lbs. medium yams, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1 tsp. sea salt, divided use
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 Tbsp. 100% orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. raw honey (or maple syrup)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Arrange yams in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season evenly with ¼ tsp. salt. Set aside.
3. Combine orange peel, orange juice, lemon juice, butter, and honey in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
4. Pour orange juice mixture over yams; toss to coat.
5. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ¾ tsp. salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Bake yams, stirring occasionally, for 50 to 60 minutes, or until fork tender.

Healthy Vegetable Soup

Nothing satisfies on a chilly day like a hearty homemade soup. This veggie-packed recipe makes enough for several meals and freezes well.

Total Time: 43 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 28 min.
Yield: 8 servings, about 1½ cups each

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup white corn kernels
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, no salt added
3 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried ground thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup broccoli florets (or cauliflower florets)
2 medium red or white potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 medium yellow squash, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 cup medium zucchini, cut into ¾-inch cubes

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
3. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
4. Add corn, tomatoes, broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
5. Add broccoli and potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Add squash and zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2/3c almond flour
1 cup sweetener
3 eggs
8oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbs butter, softened
1/4 t salt
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 t xantham
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 c coconut shreds (optional but amazing)
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 tablespoon cashew butter (optional, any nut butter will do)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips of choice

Directions

Cream together butter, cream cheese, cashew butter and sweetener.
Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each.
Add remaining dry ingredients (except chocolate chips and coconut) and mix well
Add in chocolate chips and coconut pop the mix in the freezer to harden up a bit (10 minutes or so, roughly as long as it takes to heat the oven)

Preheat oven to 350
Spoon cookies onto lined baking sheet (about 1 tablespoon sized cookies) and bake for 20 minutes or until the top of the cookie is no longer moist and begins to brown on the raised parts.