Chocolate Peanut Butter Mocha Shakeology

• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
• 1 scoop Shakeology Fiber Boost
• 1 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
• 1 heaping teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (no sugar)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 large handful of ice

Cilantro Lemon Chicken

• Chicken Breast, bone-in, skinless
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rough chopped
• juice of 1 fresh lemon
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
• sea salt and black pepper

Pour chicken broth in a skillet on medium heat. Add chicken breast that have been lightly seasoned with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Add lemon juice and cilantro. Cover and cook until done; juices from the chicken breast run clear. Remove chicken and reduce the remaining liquid to make a sauce. Serve with lots of fresh, steamed veggies!

Egg Avocado Salsa Salad

• 1 whole egg, hard boiled
• 5 egg whites
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa

Mash the eggs and avocado together. Stir in salsa. Serve with a side of brown rice for a perfect mid day meal!

Add these to your menu this week for some fun, fresh flavors that will nourish your body for success!

Shakeology! Have you heard of it? Seems like everyone is talking about it. You ask, “ is it good stuff? Is it all it claims to be?” Well, let me just say, I take it every day. I love it. I have been a whole foods purist for 12 plus years and shakeology is the first “supplement” I have endorsed. Frankly, it upsets me to hear it called a supplement. I think it is nutrition. And if you have not tried it, you must. Shakeology simply must become a part of your daily fitness and nutritional plan. I feel so strongly that I’ll make you this offer. If you have never tried Shakeology, I will send you a FREE sample. Just email me your info at carl@thefitlifenow.com. Include your name, address and phone number. If you like it, you can purchase it directly  from my website. And if you sign up for auto shipment, you get free shipping! How is that for a deal?

SO…check out the data below. And visit the website by clicking this link: Shakeology:NutritionalDecadence 

Denis Faye , inClimbing Michi’s Ladder, states: “This deep green, leafy veggie is all kinds of healthy. It’s closely related to kale and is a member of the Brassica family, which includes broccoli and cauliflower.”

 The nutrition facts

“One cup of boiled collard greens is 49 calories with 5 grams of fiber. Now, sit down and prepare for the avalanche of micronutrients you get with those 49 calories: 1,045 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA)* for vitamin K; 308 percent for vitamin A; 58 percent for vitamin C; 8 percent for vitamin E; 27 percent for calcium; 12 percent for iron; 10 percent for magnesium; 6 percent for potassium; 4 percent for copper; and 41 percent for manganese. You also get decent RDA hits of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. Phew!”

“They also contain phytonutrients that have been shown to lessen the occurrence of several different cancers and lower cholesterol.”

How do you eat collard greens?

Not with bacon fat like my grandmother served when I was a kid. Not with cheese grits and fried chicken. Please!  

I steam them in a very small amount of low sodium chicken stock or water, long and slow over a low flame. In a separate pan I saute a mix of diced red onion, peppers and sunflower seeds in a  tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. Then I toss them together and serve with baked chicken, or pan seared turkey breast.

Very simply, Collard greens are highly nutritious a difinitively delicious! They are a must have in your nutritional plan!

Source: www.nutritiondata.com

Sometimes we simply make mistakes. Not intentionally, rather unexpectedly, even unbeknown to us at the time. It just happens. Life happens. And it happened to me today.

The day dawned peacefully and with a sense of excitement and expectation. But suddenly it  was quite like getting hit upside the head with a 2×4. It just seemed to come out of no where and the initial blow was painful. My enthusiasm for the day vanished. My emotions ran rampant. My stomach twisted and I wanted to puke.

Then WHACK, right up side the head again! A second 2×4 to the head. This time, it really had nothing to do with any action I had taken though it did offer a decidely negative impact on my bottom line.  Two entirely different events, both difficult blows. The timing sucked. For a moment I wanted to wave the white flag of surrender and hide. For just a moment.

I realized that I am human. I am flawed, I make mistakes, I act on a whim, sometimes carelessly.  I just screw up from time to time. I would love to be perfect. Love it! But it’s not going to happen. So I try hard to live my life loving those around me, offering hope, encouragement, support for a better life. Certainly, I never intend harm. I try to act wisely, to be on my game at all times. I just try to be the best me and to become an even better me. I know that. I also know that some things in life happen for no particular or indentifiable reason. There really is not any responsibility or burden. They simply happen. And they may hurt and disappoint but so what. It’s life. So I must press on! If necessary, I ask forgiveness, I do what I can to correct my error and I simply move on.

I’ve received many emails during this challenge expressing a wide variety of mistakes. “I ate____. I drank ____. I was too tired to workout.” Each of them seems to have a measure of guilt associated. The truth is that we all fall. We all miss the mark and likely far more than we know. We make unplanned mistakes.  We might even hurt someone unintentionally. A million things might happen. What sets us apart is whether or not we take responsibility, get back up and march on.

If you have taken a tumble, missed a workout, made a lousy food choice, whatever it is, acknowledge it, be honest, wipe the sweat off your brow, the blood from your face and get back in the game. You’ll find forgiveness, respect, freedom.

In the end, I consider myself blessed today. Yea, it was tough. But, I think I grew a little today and that really is what it is all about!

Looking for a fun a fresh, tasty, healthy way to make a familiar dish to add to your daytime meals/menu? Try Chicken Arugula Salad. This is a simple, budget and health friendly recipe that I created for those days that I want a “comfort” food while remaining on track with my clean and lean eating plan..

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced or shredded chicken, cooked…I use leftovers from a whole chicken which I have poached or baked for dinner the night before. Of course the skin is removed and all the fat rendered.
• 1-2 Tablespoons Veganaise
• 1 cup of Baby Arugula
• 1/4 cup Diced Red Onion
• 1 tablespoon unsalted sunflower seeds
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper…if you are using leftover chicken, it will already be seasoned and no additional will be necessary

Preparation: Simply combine all ingredients. Serve alone or with a side of brown rice. 

Enjoy!!

Everyday, I receive countless emails, the majority of which are regarding  nutrition. So, today, I want to discuss a few of the top foods to have in your nutritional arsenal. Let’s talk CARBS.

First, the NO’s! Is it white? NO! White rice, bread, pasta, sugar, potatoes, flour. No. No. NO! No exceptions, no excuses, no whining! Step away from white! Period.

Now the Yes’s. …at least my top picks!

• Sweet potatoes.Ah, now that is some good eats. I love to roast them on the grill. Wrap in foil and cook them on a low heat until very soft and tender. This intensifies the natural sweetness making them like a dessert. Sooooo good!
• Brown Rice.If you live in a cold climate, buy short grain brown rice….warm climate, buy long grain. This is all about the energy of the food and eating in unity with your climate and the foods it produces. Trust me on this. It makes a difference. As to cooking it, I like to use no sodium chicken broth to cook brown rice. Just boil it until tender. Make sure the liquid is absorbed completely. Do not add so much broth that you have to drain it. You might as well eat paper if you do! Add a pinch of sea salt. And make extra as it keeps very well for 3-4 days! You can take this simple ingredient and make dozens of fresh, creative, delicious dishes.
• Quinoa. This grain is a complete protein. Yep, it is a super food. I cook it the same as brown rice most of the time. Again, I cook it in bulk and transform it into many different dishes!! 
• Hummus.  This is perfect chickpea “spread” is wonderful stirred into a bowl of brown rice and topped with a poached egg with a runny yolk. Seriously, it is sooo good! It can also be eaten with fresh veggies like celery, yellow squash, zucchini, and peppers. Hummus is very easy to make and can be made in a myriad of ways so it is always fresh, fun and flavorful! 

Put first four ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until chickpeas are mashed. Then add tahini and mix again for about a minute. Add roasted red peppers or other veggies if you wish!

And remember…eat most of your carbs early in the day, and before your workouts. Carbs are NOT a bedtime snack!

This word CHAMPION keeps coming up. So much so, that I now wonder if it is my word for the year. Last year the word was strategy. For the longest time I uttered that word without fully realize the role it was soon to play. I barked, “we need a strategy”. “What’s the strategy?” My wife kept asking why that word had become so strong in my vocabulary. I was bent on, determined to have a strategic plan. For what exactly I was not sure until September when it became clear that a carefully orchestrated plan was going to be the key to getting us to that next step in our lives. Now that step has been taken, at least the initial, primary step. And though strategy is still a crucial aspect of our long term success  there seems to be a new focus emerging. One toward the knowledge and understanding of that word, champion.

What is a champion? Who is a champion? I think most of us would consider it to be someone who is extraordinary in some achievement. Probably, we would look toward a sports celebrity, someone of great military accomplishment or even a Hollywood star. Maybe we would think of a president, or civil rights leader. Certainly we would think of someone who has exceeded the perceived norm in and through their lives. But, I challenge us to see a champion in a different light today. I believe there is a champion in all of us. Now, we may not chose to walk in that truth, but it is there, within each of us reading this blog today. I promise you!

Author John Bevere states, “these are men and women who know their goals and the course (strategy) to reach those goals.” He further describes them as people who “take each day to build on the previous day’s successes or failures.” Each day is a brand new day to strive toward the goals set before them. There is no time to wallow in self pity, doubt or uncertainty. There is only time to press forward in the mission and ultimately succeed in spite of any obstacles or circumstances that might say otherwise. A champion knows there will be failures but they only see them as opportunities to grow, to make adjustments in their lives and become stronger.

You’ve heard the statement “champions are not born, they are made.” Its true. They are made through the fire of life. It’s not about education, opportunity, a sliver spoon in their mouth or any other advantage. It’s about using what life offers, parlaying it into opportunity, advantage and education for a better tomorrow through the attainment of the established goals!

Champions don’t quit. They are seemingly unaffected by obstacles in life. Resistance is a but a challenge. They power through, find solutions, resolve problems. They overcome. They conquer. They walk in victory, not defeat.

Each of us is on a journey. In this case, most if not all of us reading this blog are on a journey to health and fitness. Some might be participating in the Lose Big BeachBody Style challenge but not feeling like much of a champion right now. Maybe the perceived power players out there knocking out three workouts a day, caring less about having a cheat meal while sporting six pack abs are intimidating you. Maybe those are the champions in your eyes. You know what? They are! They have pressed past the barriers and obstacles in a goal of health and fitness and they continue to do so. They have set their sight on the prize and they have not been deterred. Does that mean you can’t? NO! Are you not a champion because you have yet to attain their level? NO!!!

A champion is screaming on the inside of you! “Release me!!!!” Will you set your champion free? It’s up to you. Maybe you have suffered seemingly insurmountable circumstances in the past. You made it through, right? Maybe you carry a burden of fear, guilt or shame? Someone may have sold you those burdens as a bill of goods. Take back the power. Don’t receive them any more. Maybe you are intimidated. The intimidator sits on the toilet just like you do. Take a mental snap shot of that and conquer that fear. Whatever the obstacles you see in your way, face them, take charge and authority. And do not give up until you have OVERCOME.

I’m telling you… You are on the path to health and fitness success. The tools are set before you within the challenge. The strategy is in place.  Only you can hold you can hold your champion back. So stop it! Set you heart, mind, body and spirit toward being a Champion. And remember, you don’t need to be like anyone else to be a champion. You are not anyone but You. So be the champion that only YOU can be!!

I want to be a champion because I know the I truth I am! Its time to walk in that truth. It’s your time too!

As participants in my FaceBook Lose Big BeachBody Style challenge and members of my BeachBody team, you are on a journey for optimal health and fitness. And my goal is to empower you to succeed through knowledge, experience, support, encouragement, motivation, inspiration, friendship and example. Why? I am passionate for health and fitness because I know first hand its power to transform our lives. I am aware that as a society, we have lost sight of its value, considering food entertainment more than sustenance, athleticism sport more than wellness, strength and power. We now suffer with epidemic levels of obesity, illness, lethargy and weakness. We are caught in a vicious cycle of fast, processed, refined foods and technologies that often leave us diseased, sedate and disengaged. And it is a BIG problem.

The solutions? We are offered answers that really are little more than band aides. They make false promises, offer short term remedies and very often lead us farther down the path of self destruction.  They are called DIETS. Or we have reality shows that promise massive results quickly though nearly impossible for the everyday individual to achieve. So, how do we keep up? How do we know what is the truth? How do we stay motivated to attain this desired health and fitness? It is a battle, indeed. And I believe it is won only through a long term commitment to lifestyle change, a team effort, in a community of support and love. Thus the ultimate goal of the challenge.

But this morning, I was offered a sobering reminder. I, am an agressive fitness enthusiasts. I workout 2-3 times a day. I push past normal boundaries. I set extraordinarily high goals. I would add that I am a health food junkie, a food snob. I am a machine of sorts. I push crazy hard all the time. It works for me. But, it didn’t always and that is where the email really hit me.

As host, I have to remember that so many, maybe the majority, of you are beginners. You may have not spent years honing your fitness and nutritional skills. You may be scared to death and a guy like me might just intimidate the hell out of you. I realized this morning that in my passion and enthusiasm, I might suggest, unwittingly, that you are not Bringing It! That you are falling short. That is NOT a message I would ever hope to send. And it is not at all what I believe!

I remember the days when I could hardly lift weights at all. While, weight loss has not defined my journey, I remember how discouragingly difficult those trouble spots were to tone and shape. I have not forgotten the challenge of transforming my nutritional habits. I have not forgotten how I hated a public gym because I could not measure up to the others pumping iron with their lean, muscled bodies sporting 6 pack abs. I have not forgotten that All of it is HARD work!

I know it is tempting to give up, especially when it seems you are the only one struggling to get through a workout or making healthy food choices. But I want to say to you today, NEVER give up. Never allow yourself to be intimidated by a guy like me or anyone else. We are all on the same journey though we may be in different places. Please know that as a team, we are all here to transform our lives. No one is perfect. No one! We all have shortcomings whether we want to discuss them or not. This is life and I will be real and I will ask the same of you.   

So, in my zeal to proclaim the pounds and inches lost, the muscle gained or the myriad of other victories, I hope to not lose sight of the struggles that are occuring as well. I will continue to work hard to bring you information that will help you succeed. I will do my very best to stand alongside you in this truly incredible journey. You have to remember that I am human and therefore am not perfect. So, please understand my flaws, offer grace and together let’s kick some butt. What do you say?

It’s Friday! Wooohoooo! But that does not really mean much in my world, Just the same, it still seems like a mile marker, an achievement somehow. I’m happy with the week. I know tomorrow will dawn and look very similar to today. Eat, workout, run errands, market the biz, respond to emails, messages, texts about fitness and nutrition, workout again, eat, and eat some more. Sounds dull, no doubt. But I like my life. I want to make more money soon. But life is good.

And it was in that routine, that I made the statement today: “One small step taken today, is one giant leap for tomorrow!” In the hum drum nature of things, I took a small step forward. It was not profound at the time. Not all that exciting. I actually knew it was going to happen. I knew it yesterday. But I approached it casually, allowing it to occur, not forcing it. And when it was all said and done and I had moved on to my own training, I realized just how significant it was.

I crossed a threshold. Broke a barrier. Overcame an obstacle. And it reminded me of the first moon landing when Neil Armstrong declared,  ”That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”. That’s a bit how it feels. Not that there is really much comparison. But…I believe the implications for my future will be enormous.

That’s also true for each of you in your fitness journey. Every time you push play or make a healthy food choice you are taking a step forward. And that step is HUGE in the big scheme of your life. It sets the stage for tomorrow. It puts your life into motion…your dreams, your goals for achievement. They are launched forward with every “little” step you take. The positive affect is simply astounding.

It is said that we must never “despise small beginnings.”  It’s true. They lead to BIG tomorrows, victories,  and successful achievements. Just one small action taken in faith today, believing for the dream, becomes an unbelievably giant gain for your future. Make no mistake about it!

So put the cookie down. Get out the DVD. Push Play! Eat a healthy dinner from tiers one and two of Michi’s Ladder. And just watch with wonder what tomorrow will bring.

I am asked, seems like daily, “what do you eat in a normal day?”   It seems to be a matter of great interest. I think its boring frankly. I’m boring. I eat boring. I am a whole food junkie. I’ve been called a food snob and I have decided to own it. It’s a good thing because I know from first hand experience, the life saving value of nutrition. It’s a HUGE part of my story. So, yea, I want the world around me to get it; to understand that food is far more than pleasure. It’s life giving. Like air, it is a must have and the choices made make the difference between optimal, natural health and medically sustained “health”.  It also makes the difference between average and outstanding fitness.

So, here is what a nutritional day looks like in the life of Carl Mason.

Meal One:  Shakeology, chocolate although I prefer Greenberry. Chocolate is my wife’s favorite so I roll with it. I add organic natural peanut butter, whey protein, psyllium fiber, ice and water. I have other variations but this combo has become our standard fare.

Meal Two:This meal is leftovers from the night before with the addition of whole grains. An example …Pan roasted turkey breast with herbs and onions, slow steamed collard greens and quinoa. Actually, that was today’s meal and it was superb.

Meal Three: A vey similar meal. Today it was 3 hard boiled eggs (only one whole egg), more collard greens and quinoa with a tablespoon of roasted red pepper hummus. Delish!!

Meal Four: Vey simple, this was a pre-workout banana and another hard boiled egg.

Meal Five:This meal was a post workout meal of Shakeology. I make extra in the morning and add a scoop of Srength and Muscle Formula. It’s ready to consume immediately after the workout and fast absorbing. Perfect!

Meal Six:  Dinner tonight will be Poached Chicken and green beans with sunflower seeds (unsalted). It’s simple and wholesome!

Meal Seven:I have an evening ritual of tuna or egg salad. I make it VERY simple. One can of tuna or 4 hardboiled eggs (only one whole egg) mixed with a tablespoon of veganaise. No salt.

Of course I drink crazy amounts of water! Seems like I pee every five minutes. TMI but true!

There you have it! I hope that inspires you to clean, whole foods nutrition. It really is simple and it is absolutely delicious. My body LOVES it. So will yours.

Oh….before I close. By popular request here is how I make my Avocado Egg Salad. Be sure to write this down or print it out. Its rather difficult. Not at all. Its ridiculously easy and sooo good.

1/2 avocado

3 hard boiled eggs (one whole)

1 tablespoon veganaise

fresh cracked black pepper

Mash it all together and enjoy! You’ll love it! Just skip the toast and crackers. Okay?

Out!!