Recipe Spotlight: Blueberry Baked Oats

Sometimes I see a recipe and I KNOW that it's going to be a WINNER!

I made two batches of these yummy muffins. The first time I followed the recipe from DC Food Porn exactly using air fryer, and the second time I added 1 serving of protein powder plus a little extra almond milk and oven baked.

All I can say is YUM!! These are perfect for breaking your fast or making ahead of time to take with you as a snack on-the-go.

BLUEBERRY BAKED OATS

Ingredients:

-1 cup oats

-1/2 banana

-1/2 cup frozen blueberries

-1 tbsp honey

-1 tsp baking powder

-pinch of salt

-1/4 cup dairy free milk

**optional 1 scoop FASTer Way protein powder -> also increase milk

Steps:

-blend ingredients together

-add to an oven safe container

-air fry at 350F for 10 minutes (or bake in the oven for ~20)

MACROS: 102g carbs, 9g fat, 13g protein, 13g fiber

Before putting in to bake, I added a few blueberries and a little granola for toppings! Soooo delish!!

Let me know if you try this one, too.

Don't Let Your Goals Drift Away on Summer Weekends

The holiday and weekend are wrapping up, but let's face it. Summer weekends are just getting started.

With get-togethers in full swing, don’t let your goals drift away. It’s easy to let a treat turn into a whole day of snacking or binging if you're not paying attention. Be mindful of consumption, especially empty calories in drinks, and plan out meals in advance as much as possible! You can still have fun and take steps towards your goals!

TRY THESE SIMPLE BBQ SWAPS:

• Choose a lettuce wrap instead of hamburger or hot dog buns
• Slather on mustard instead of mayo
• Try crispy roasted sweet potatoes instead of potato chips
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with summer berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) instead of cake or ice cream
• Bake a healthier treat without refined sugars/grains/dairy instead of a typical cake or cookies
• Drink sparkling water with citrus fruit instead of soda
• Make a big side salad full of colorful veggies instead of pasta salad
• Turn your regular burger into a yummy burger bowl! Ditch the bun, serve over a bed of lettuce, and add all your favorite burger toppings! (This is one of my FASTer Way favorites!)

Healthy weekends don’t have to be all about deprivation, because let’s be honest, that isn’t much of a weekend, right? Here’s the secret. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can find a balance that works for real life...even on summer weekends!

Recipe Spotlight: Berry Protein Smoothie

You need this smoothie recipe this summer!! ☀️⛱

We all know summer is busy and summer is hot! That's why this smoothie is perfect. It's simple and quick, but most importantly...it will cool you off.

Plus, if you're trying to rush out the door to this or that summer activity, it's packed full of protein, healthy fat and carbs to get you started on the right foot. 

🍓 FASTer Way Berry Protein Smoothie 🫐

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop FASTer Way vanilla protein
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 tbsp almond butter

Blend and enjoy!!

Ingredient Notes: I like to buy a big bag of mixed frozen berries, but you can also cut and freeze your own fresh berries ahead of time. If you only have fresh berries, just add a handful of ice before blending!

Want to try more FASTer Way recipes? Download my FREE sample meal guide by clicking here!

Why Sleep Matters for Fat Loss

 

We all know that sleep is important for energy and how we feel throughout the day, but did you know that it's important for burning fat, too?

Rest and exhaustion can easily creep up on us, especially when we are active in the warmer months. 

Take a look at these 3 ways poor sleep can affect your progress:

1. Increased cortisol levels - cortisol is your body's stress hormone. When your levels are high, your body will store fat. Not getting enough sleep can raise cortisol levels and make it more difficult to burn fat.

2. Imbalance of hunger hormones - Not sleeping enough impacts your hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin). Ghrelin signals to your brain when it's time to eat and leptin lets your body know that you've eaten enough.

3. Decreased sensitivity to insulin - After a few day of insufficient sleep, your body will struggle to process insulin (the hormone responsible for changing sugar and starches into energy). When your insulin sensitivity is decreased, your body is going to store fat.

Make sure you are priming your body for sleep by watching your nutrition intake throughout the day and going to bed at the right time.

 

Podcast to Check Out: 7 Signs of a Slow Metabolism + How to Boost It

A couple of years ago I learned that I have a slow metabolism. It was a simple test that my Functional Medicine Practitioner ordered for me. 

Our age is usually to blame for many of the changes we go through as women in our 40s, 50s and beyond. However, there are many things that we do to ourselves that can cause our metabolism to slow down - for example: under-eating, eliminating carbs, not getting enough micronutrients, just to name a few.

The good news is that if you feel you have signs of a slow metabolism, there are steps you can take to improve it naturally.

Here are the 7 signs Dr. Stephen Cabral shares in his podcast The Cabral Concept: 7 Signs of a Slow Metabolism + How to Boost It: 

1. Cold hands & feet

2. Fluctuating energy throughout the day

3. Poor digestion - bloating

4. Irregular bowel movements

5. Can't maintain weight range

6. Not feeling hunger 

7. Feelings of brain fog

As a FASTer Way Coach, this is a concern on the minds of many of my clients. 

One thing Dr, Cabral says, that I wholeheartedly agree with, is that if you think there is something going on, dig deeper. Dig deeper so that there is still time to do something about it before it gets worse and cause other issues. I can refer my clients to a Health Coach, but I encourage you to reach out to your own functional medicine doctor.

Listen to the podcast and let me know what you think!