Phase 1 Meal Plan

Today I started back on a strict Phase 1 diet. I need to jump start the weight loss before school starts, so it’s officially Hammer Time! For the next two weeks, I will be drinking plain shakes (no fruit) for two meals a day and eating dinner/snacks that are completely phase 1 approved. Sometimes I spend so much time thinking/complaining about what to make for phase 1 dinners, so I decided to write down my two week meal plan. This will help me (and anyone else who wants to join in) know exactly what to make/eat. Wish me luck!

Day 1
Barbecued Burger with cheese and pickles – no bun
Cucumbers and celery

Day 2
Vegetable stuffed chicken breast with spinach

(minus the carrots and capers)

Day 3
Barbecued chicken with Montreal Steak Spice marinade
Salad

Day 4
Soy sauce chicken
Broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce

Day 5
Beef Stir Fry

Day 6
Barbecued steaks with Montreal Steak Spice marinade

Cucumber salad

Day 7
Breakfast!
Omelets with ham, cheese, broccoli
(I don’t like many vegetables, but you can add peppers, mushrooms, onions, and any other phase 1 approved vegetable)

Day 8
Hamburger minestrone soup

(minus the carrots)

Day 9
Hamburger minestrone soup

Day 10
Turkey and black bean salad
I’m using the recipe for chicken and black bean burritos, but substituting turkey for the chicken, and putting it on salad instead of in wraps. Should be delicious!

Day 11
Turkey and black bean salad

Day 12
Taco Salad

Day 13
Barbecued steaks with Montreal Steak Spice marinade

You can never have enough steaks!
Cucumber salad

Day 14
Paprika pork chops
I’ve never tried this recipe, but I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce

Taco Salad

Taco salad (without the taco chips) is a great phase 1 meal. Yes, the chips are really what makes it so yummy, but its still good without. On occasions when I'm not being so strict, however, you bet they are thrown back in!

Here is one version of a simple taco salad recipe. I deleted the taco chips part. The recipe and picture came from allrecipes.com.

Enjoy!

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup salsa
1 (15.25 ounce) can kidney beans
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Optional garnish: sour cream, chopped tomato, and additional salsa

Paprika Pork Chops

UPDATE: I made this last night. My dad loved it, my mom liked it, and I probably won’t make it again. I just didn’t really like the flavor. We only put half of the onions in, and that was plenty. But, it works for phase 1, so I ate it. Let me know what you think.

This is a new recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but since it is 100% phase 1 approved, I thought I'd give it a shot. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/3 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/3 cup sour cream
4 boneless pork chops
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1.Set uppermost oven rack 5 inches from heat source, and preheat broiler.

2.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and golden. Remove from heat. In a bowl, stir together 1/2 teaspoon paprika, sauerkraut, onions, and sour cream.

3.Season pork chops with pepper, garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon paprika.

4.Broil pork chops 6 minutes. Turn, and broil 5 to 6 minutes more. Remove from oven. Spread sauerkraut and onion mixture over pork chops, and broil 1 or 2 minutes more.



Picture and recipe from allrecipes.com

Greek Salad

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Picture found here.

This is a really fresh and delicious salad, perfect for summertime! There are a lot of variations of this salad, but this is my mom's recipe, so you know it's my favorite!

3 medium tomatoes
1 cup cucumber
3/4 cup green pepper
3/4 cup red pepper
3/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
olives - as many as you feel comfortable with :)
3/4 cup Greek Salad Dressing

Chop the vegetables. Combine in a large bowl. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

For those of you who would rather make your own dressing, here is a 4.5 star recipe from allrecipes.com:

1 1/2 quarts olive oil
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup dried oregano
1/3 cup dried basil
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
2 quarts red wine vinegar

In a very large container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

How do you like your Greek Salad? Do you have a preference of dressing?

Café Mocha Shake

Kick off your morning with a delicious Café Mocha Shake and get the nutritious energy boost you’ll need to take on the day!

If I were a coffee drinker, I bet I would love this shake! It sounds just like an iced-capp from Tim Horton's. I used to love those!






8 oz of milk/soy milk
1/2 Banana
2 tbs of Instant Coffee
1/4 Cup of Ice
2 scoops of WellnessPro Chocolate Shake

Place ingredients in a blender and blend until all of the ice is crushed.
Enjoy!

Stability Ball

A Stability (or Fitness) Ball is a great tool to add to your exercise regime, whether at the gym or at home. For under $20 you can have one simple "machine" and work out several parts of your body.

Click here to find tips for selecting, using, and maintaining a stability ball.

Click here for a list of great exercises to build strength and flexibility using a stability ball.



Hmmm... idea for a future giveaway perhaps??? :)

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
(instead of the jalapeno, I put in a small can of diced chilies)
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (250 mL) salsa
8 large whole wheat tortillas
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream

In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; fry onion, garlic, salt and pepper until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, jalapeno, red pepper, beans and salsa; cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Spoon about 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the filling down centre of each tortilla; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the cheese. Fold in bottom edge, then sides; roll up. Place, seam side down, in greased 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven until golden and hot, and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

I am a big fan of freezer meals, and these make great ones. Here’s the freezer meal directions:

After sprinkling with remaining cheese, let unbaked burritos cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold. Cover and overwrap with heavy-duty foil (or wrap individually in heavy-duty foil) and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, loosely covered with foil, in 400°F (200°C) oven until golden and hot, and cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.

Tip: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, warm them up in the morning and pop into a thermal lunch box. Or if your child has access to a microwave at school, wrap two burritos to warm up there. Otherwise pack them in a lunchbox that keeps food warm or cold.



from www.canadianliving.com

Hamburger Minestrone Soup

I’m not a big soup fan, but I LOVE this soup. It super filling, nutritious and delicious!

2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
2 garlic gloves, minced
1/8 cup vegetable oil
5 cups beef broth
(I just buy the big carton and add water to make 5 cups)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup sliced carrots
2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can navy beans, drained
(or just two cans of your favorite beans)

In a large pot, sauté onion, celery and garlic until tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. In a large pan, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain. Stir beef into soup with zucchini and beans. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Top each serving with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Giveaway!

It’s time for the very first Be a Wellness Pro giveaway! I’ve been slacking on this blog for a while now, but it is time for me to get back on track. From now on, you can expect frequent giveaways where you can receive WellnessPro and general healthiness related items. So, let’s get started!

The first giveaway will be a must have for any health program – a delicious and nutritious meal replacement shake! You will have your choice of a container of chocolate or vanilla shakes for men or for women.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Become a follower.
2. Mention this blog and giveaway on your blog, and leave a link.
3. Facebook about this giveaway, and leave a link.
4. Leave a comment with your flavor preference - chocolate or vanilla.
Leave a comment for each entry.

Giveaway ends on August 1st.

*For this special giveaway, anyone in the US or Canada can enter, since I’ll be between countries this time!

Good luck!

Peach Melba Shake

Switch things up with a cool Peach Melba Shake. With less than 200 calories, it is an absolutely delicious and nutritious way to kick off your summer day!

1 8 oz glass of water/skim milk/soy milk
1/4 cup of frozen raspberries
1/2 ripe peeled peach
2 scoops of Vanilla WellnessPro Balanced Nutrition Shake
1/4 cup crushed ice or ice cubes

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until all of the ice is crushed.
Enjoy!

Exercise Tip

Transform flab to abs!
Define your six pack with reverse crunches.

Lie on the floor. Keeping your abs drawn in, roll your pelvis off the floor and, maintaining the same knee angle, bring your knees to your chest. Slowly lower, pause, and repeat. Aim for five sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

Health Tip

Water is a vital part of a healthy diet. Did you know that our bodies are made up of about 70% water, yet it has been estimated that up to 75% of people are chronically dehydrated? To prevent dehydration, experts recommend that everyone drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day to stay properly hydrated and to flush out toxins. And of course, don’t forget your Dfense!

Portion Size Basic Guidelines

One of the key ways to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight is through portion control. Research has shown that people often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25%.

What is a Serving Size?

Use the list below to gain a perspective on how much food a recommended serving size really is; it may be much smaller than you realize.

Baseball — a serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist
A rounded handful — about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta – this is a good measure for a snack serving, such as chips or pretzels
Deck of cards—a serving of meat, fish or poultry or the palm of your hand (don't count your fingers!)
Golf ball or large egg — one quarter cup of dried fruit or nuts
Tennis ball — about one half cup of ice cream
Computer mouse — about the size of a small baked potato
Compact disc — about the size of one serving of pancake or small waffle
Thumb tip — about one teaspoon of peanut butter
Six dice — a serving of cheese
Check book — a serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.)

Remember, eating correct portions will help you maintain weight. However, if your goal is to lose a few lbs follow the Phase 1 or Phase 2 lists of recommended foods.

Having a difficult time keeping all of this in mind? Go here to print out a wallet size portion guide.

Strawberry Kiwi Shake

Cool down this summer with a refreshing Strawberry Kiwi Shake:

1 8 oz glass of milk
1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
1 ripe peeled kiwi
1/2 Teaspoon of lemon juice extract
2 scoops of Vanilla WellnessPro Balanced Nutrition Shake
1/4 cup of ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend for about 30 seconds until all of the ice is crushed. Enjoy!