Clean eating and ketogenic/LCHG recipe - Cilantro Chicken with Cauliflower

.This Cilantro Chicken with Cauliflower recipe is a staple in our house. The cauliflower is a great vegetable. Not only is it packed with vitamin C but also low in carbs. I serve the dish to my kids with the pasta, but of course I skip it to make it a ketogenic meal.

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 40 mins

Cilantro Chicken with Cauliflower

Ingredients • 1 tbsp olive oil • 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8) • Salt and black pepper • 1 head cauliflower (about 11/2 pounds) • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper • 1 lime (1 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving) • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves • Penne pasta Directions 1. Cut the cauliflower into florets. 2. Heat oven to 450° degrees. 3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. 4. Working in batches, cook the chicken skin-side down until crisp and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve the drippings in the skillet. 5. Cook the pasta following the direction on the packaging. 6. Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tbsp of the drippings from the skillet. Add the cauliflower, chilies, and ¼ tsp each salt and black pepper; toss to coat. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in the cauliflower, transfer to oven, and roast until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 22 minutes. 7. Add the lime juice and cilantro to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with the pasta and lime wedges. Enjoy!

Did you know....

....that the benefits of ginger are many. Modern scientific research has shown that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. Ginger is also a good trick for many to get rid of nausea.

Here are some additional benefits Feeling gassy? For the sake of your friends, have some ginger! Haven't had an appetite lately? Ginger will help your appetite and get the digestive system going. Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body. Do you have a nose and throat congestion? Add some ginger to your tea. Joint pain? Add some ginger essential oil in your bath to help aching muscles and joints.

Buy it here

Simply Organic Ginger

Clean eating and ketogenic/LCHG recipe - Chicken with roasted cherry tomato and basil sauce

.A great summer chicken recipe that works for both clean eating and ketogenic/LCHF (skip the rice) - Chicken with roasted cherry tomato and basil sauce.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients • Olive oil • 1 pound cherry tomatoes • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (6 oz each) • cup coarsely chopped fresh basil • ¼ cup half and half cream • Brown rice • Salad; lettuce, 2 tomatoes and cucumber

Directions 1. Clean and chop the tomatoes and cucumber. Mix with the lettuce in a serving bowl and set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 400° degrees. 3. Place tomatoes in a large shallow baking dish and sprinkle them with olive oil (making sure they are all covered). 4. Roast the tomatoes, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until they are soft. 5. Meanwhile, put on the rice to cook following the directions on the packaging. 6. While the tomatoes and rice are cooking, heat up a pan on medium heat and add a little olive oil. 7. Add the chicken and cook both sides until cooked through. Cover the chicken and let stand for 5 minutes. 8. When the tomatoes are done roasting, put half of them in a blender and mix until smooth. 9. Place the mixture in a medium saucepan with the basil and the cream; cook, stirring, over low heat, until heated through. 10. Serve the chicken topped with sauce, remaining tomatoes, rice and salad.

Enjoy!

Why am I not losing weight?

.Why am I not losing weight? A question we have all asked ourselves at one point. It's so frustrating when you feel like you are doing everything right, but you are not seeing any results.

Here are some checkpoints to help you ensure you are set up for success 80% food/20% exercise You can't rely on exercise alone to see results. Yes, exercise will help burn extra calories and it's good for your health, but if you are eating more than you are burning, you won't see a change in your weight.

Don't overestimate how many calories you burn during exercise Many people think that you burn more calories during exercise than you are. You also can't rely on the workout machines to show you accurate calorie count. Be modest in your calculations.

Don't eat back all the calories you burn during exercise A lot of people use excercise as an excuse to eat more. Have you told yourself "I worked out today so I can eat this", or "I'm going to workout tomorrow, so I can enjoy this treat now"? Think about it - you burn about 250-300 calories (depending on your weight and speed) during a 30 min run, but a meal at a restaurant is about 1000 calories or more....

Don't underestimate how much you eat Are you tracking your calories and meeting the basic guidelines for a healthy diet to ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals? It's easy to lose track or underestimate your calorie intake. Make sure you document and track all of your meals - Here is a helpful template

Are you following the right workout routine? Look over your workout routine to make sure you are getting the right mix of cardio and weight training. Cardio is great for weight-loss, but you still need to incorporate strength training to preserve lean muscle. So it's crucial you get a combination of both. To summaries - keep track of your food intake - keep track of your exercise and don't use it as an excuse to overeat - Look over your workout routine to ensure you doing the right mix of exercises

Happy weight-loss and success!

Reward healthy eating

.Rewarding your child with food doesn’t promote a healthy relationship to food. Therefore Stellibell has developed a point system you can use to reward healthy eating. Every time your child tries or eats a new or healthy food give him/her points.

Create a chart for tracking together with your child. Have fun and decorate it with stickers, glitter etc. You also need to decide what the price is when your child has met the points goal. A great goal is something you can do together - go to the book store and buy her/his favorite book, go to the movies or show etc.

Based on the points below, 100 points is a good goal.

Trying a new food (even if it's just a bite) = 5 pts Eating most the veggies/fruits = 4 pts Eating most of the protein = 3 pts Helping with the cooking = 3 pts Cleaning up the table = 3pts

The most important step, have fun!!

Clean eating and ketogenic/LCHF recipe - Chicken with tomatoes and peppers

.Delicious recipe with plenty of vegetables - chicken with tomatoes and peppers. Serve the chicken with a salad instead of the rice if you like to make the recipe ketogenic/LCHF.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins

Chicken with Tomatoes and Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 (1 ½ pound) medium skinless, chicken breast halves • ¼ tsp salt • 1/8 tsp black pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 cup stewed tomatoes • 1 small onion • ½ cup red sweet pepper • ½ cup green pepper • ½ cup yellow pepper • 2 tbsp dry white wine • 1 tsp chili power • ¼ tsp ground cumin • Red, green and yellow pepper rings for serving • Brown rice

Directions

1. Chop the onion and put aside. 2. Chop all three peppers. 3. Clean the chicken, pat dry and sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. 4. Heat up a pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. 5. Cook the chicken until browned evenly on both sides. Leave it in the pan. 6. In a medium bowl, combine well the stewed tomatoes (un-drained), the onion, the peppers, wine, chili powder and cumin. 7. Put on the rice to cook following the directions on the packaging. 8. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 9. Remove the chicken from the pan (keeping the pepper mixture in the pan) and place on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm. 10. Heat the tomato mixture to a boil and boil, uncovered, for 4-6 minutes or until desired consistency. 11. Pour the mixture over the chicken and serve with the rice. Enjoy!

In case you need a reason or two...

.Happy Monday!

Here are 50 reasons for exercising. Number 50 is of course our favorite! This is a great chart to look at every time you question why you should exercise.

This week I'm going to run three times and do two sessions with weights. What are your plans? Email me and share your plans, and I will help keep you accountable - molander@stellibell.com

exercise reasons

Image - Pinterest

Did you know...

....that your metabolism can be boosted through the consumption of spicy foods. Spicy peppers, which include cayenne peppers, cause the body temperature to rise. When the body temperature rises it needs to be cooled, and you burn more calories when the body is forced to go through a cooling process. The key is eating the right spices, in the right quantities, and through the right foods for maximum results. More is not necessarily better so eat it in moderation. A teaspoon daily is a good amount. Add it to a glass of water or your favorite recipes.

Cayenne pepper also benefit your entire circulatory system, your intestines, your stomach, not to mention give your heart muscles an infusion of minerals that is necessary for its proper function. So great benefits all around.

Check out a great organic cayenne pepper here and burn, baby burn!

Simply Organic Cayenne

Triggers for overeating

.I've been thinking a lot lately about what motivates me. In order to lose weight you need to focus on more than just what you eat. You also need to focus on your thoughts and behaviors. What makes you overeat and not exercise, and vice versa? Do you know your triggers for overeating?

Here are some of my triggers:

- I'm an emotional eater. I eat when I'm stressed, sad, tired etc - When I go out to eat with my family and friends I often overeat because "this is a special occasion so I'm allowed to eat" - I sometimes mistake a craving for thirst. As soon as I drink a glass of water the craving goes away - I've been told my whole life to "finish your plate" so I sometimes forget that I need to stop eating when I'm full - If I don't see any progress in my weight or in the way I feel I slip onto the mindset of "I might as well eat anyway because nothing is happening"

What are your triggers? Write them down. By identifying your triggers you will be able to manage and avoid them.

One of my favorite saying to help me fight cravings is - Madlene, you are smarter than that! Why would you fall for some cravings! - I also don't negotiate with myself because no one is better to come up with excuses to eat then I am! These are the best ones - I'm having a really bad day so I deserve to eat this, I don't know if I will be able to eat dinner on time so I better make sure I have a big lunch, I worked out so I deserve to eat a little bit more etc etc. When these thoughts pop up in my mind I stop them right away. I'm worth being healthy

The only cravings I give in to, because they are perfectly fine to eat.

Super Bowl party

Nike Fuel Band

.I've found one of the best motivator ever! The Nike Fuel band. So far it's motivated me run and lift weights every day since I bought it last week. I'm also taking the long way every time I need to walk somewhere to get extra points. Not only does it motivate me to reach my goal every day, but I'm also competing with friends which helps even more.

fuelband

Nike Fuel band measure all your activities and shows calories burnt, steps taken, fuel points earned etc. I love that is has a watch too, so that I don't have to wear the band and my watch.

Clean Eating and Ketogenic/LCHF recipe - Smoked Salmon Stew

.Here is a fish recipe my entire family love - smoked salmon stew. I trade the pasta for a salad to make the recipe ketogenic. I often eat any leftovers with scrambled eggs the next morning. It's a great way to add some flavor to the eggs and to add even more vitamins and minerals to your morning meal.

Smoked Salmon Stew

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 20 mins

Ingredients • 1 yellow onion • I 8-oz package smoked salmon • 1 16-oz container sour cream • 1 bunch of fresh dill • 1 tbsp olive oil • Salt and pepper • 1 cucumber • Whole wheat Linguine

Instructions 1. Chop the onion. 2. Heat up the oil in a pan on medium heat. 3. Fry to onion. 4. Cut up the salmon in strips. 5. Put on the pasta to cook according to the directions on the box. 6. Add the salmon to the pan with the onions. Let cook for a couple of minutes while stirring. 7. Add the sour cream, salt, pepper, dill and mix well. Let cook for an additional 10 minutes. 8. Slice the cucumber and put it on a serving plate. 9. Serve the pasta with the stew and cucumber slices. Enjoy!

Raspberry Mousse

.I often get the comment - What? You don't eat fruits? That must be so boring! Not true. I eat berries; raspberries (lowest in carbs), blueberries and strawberries. I eat them as a snack or I whip up a yummy dessert like a raspberry mousse. A ketonic/LCHF lifestyle is anything but boring! Raspberry Mousse 4-6 servings Prep time: 2 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 12 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup raspberries • 1 pinch of stevia (optional) • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1 egg yolk • 1 tsp. vanilla powder • Shaved dark chocolate (optional) Directions 1. Whip the cream for about 3 minutes on high using an electric mixer. It shouldn't be too firm or too runny. 2. Meanwhile, heat up the raspberries in a pot on the stove while stirring and add the stevia (optional). The raspberries should get mushy and runny. 3. Add the vanilla powder to the cream. 4. Add the raspberries to the cream and fold them in. 5. Separate the egg and add the egg yolk to the cream. 6. Using the mixer, mix for about 5-10 seconds. 7. Serve with some shaved dark chocolate on top (optional). Enjoy!

berries

Extra buttery chocolate balls

.I just came up with a great way to add some more butter and fat to my diet. I made a new version of the chocolate balls recipe in my book. I love making new recipes and trying new ingredients. I added some protein powder (zero carb and zero sugar. Great brand can be found here) to add some protein, but also to add a sweet flavor.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 10 mins

Extra buttery chocolate balls

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter • 1/4 cup protein powder (I used chocolate) • 1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (1 cup in the recipe and 1/4 cup for covering the chocolate balls) • 1 tsp cold strong coffee • 1/4 cup cocoa (less if you don't want a strong chocolate flavor. Add little by little)

Directions

1. Take out the butter and keep it in room temperature a little bit before you start making the chocolate balls. 2. Meanwhile, spread out 1/4 cup of the coconut flakes on a plate and set aside. 3. Add all the ingredients in a large bowl. 4. Using your hands mix all the ingredients very well. 5. Take a small amount of the mix and roll it together into a ball. Roll the ball in the coconut flakes on the plate until they are covered. Place the finished balls in a glass container with lid. 6. Once all the chocolate balls are complete close the lid on the container and place them in the fridge. They can also be kept in the freezer.

The chocolate balls are great as a snack, or with coffee/tea after lunch or dinner to add some more fat to the meal. They will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Enjoy!

extra buttery balls

Magic Bullet Coffee

.I haven't been as strict as I should be with the fat, so here we go. Starting the day with a MBC - Magic Bullet Coffee. Coffee with tiny bit of cream, two tablespoons of coconut butter and two tablespoons butter. Yum! I should be in ketosis by this weekend. The menu today:

Breakfast - Magic Bullet Coffee Lunch - Ketogenic/LCHF chicken salad Dinner - Grilled chicken and spinach salad

magic bullet coffee