Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 4-8 cups chicken broth
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, anise seed, fennel seed, dried oregano, and dried basil

Instructions 

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and add garlic until fragrant.
2. Add onion and season with salt. Heat the onions for about ten minutes , stirring constantly.
3. Add the bell pepper and heat until tender.
4. Add the shredded carrots and mushrooms and cook for five minutes.
5. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken, and seasoning to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the flavors blend.

This recipe will make about 6-7 servings totaling around 150 calories per serving. 150 calories may sound like nothing for a meal but trust me this soup fills you up. I like to have it for lunch as it keeps me full for hours after I eat it for a fraction of the calories.

Helps Control Weight
I know what I just said. Diet aids weight loss more than exercise. But, exercise still burns calories, boosts the metabolism, and allows you eat more!

Fights Disease
Being active, no matter your weight, helps to reduce your  bad cholesterol levels which can lower your blood pressure and works to prevent heart disease.

Improves your Mood
“Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy.” Thank you ‘Legally Blonde‘ for that insightful saying. Physical activity stimulates brain chemicals that leaves your feeling happier.

Boosts Energy 
Regular exercises increases your bodies endurance and strength allowing for more oxygen to be delivered to your muscle tissues and quicker delivery of nutrients throughout your body. This creates a more efficient body and more energy.

Promotes Sleep
Regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.

Improves Self-Confidence
The combination of calories burned, boosted energy, and endorphins moving through your body is the perfect way to improve self confidence and have an overall positive influence on your life.

1. AVOID THE SCALE!

The scale is so overrated! Trust me, the scale can drive you crazy! Our bodies fluctuate constantly, so measuring your progress this way isn’t the best way. I understand that losing weight can be hard mentally and emotionally (I’m right there alongside you on this journey, too!), but I find that many people panic when they see the scale not budging or go up a notch rather than down – and I totally get this! I used to do this, and I used to panic about tiny gains or if the scale didn’t budge, too. But, I’ve learned that looking at the scale on a daily basis only caused me to become obsessed with it. It’s best to focus on other ways you might see a change in your body such as how you feel inside and out, how your clothes are feeling baggier and how you look in the mirror. These are all WAY better forms of measurement, in my opinion. Also, get a measuring tape and measure around your waist, belly, hips, thighs, arms, etc. Write down those numbers and after a week or 2 measure again and I promise (if you’re working hard at this diet) you will see the numbers drop! It’s pretty awesome! Also, taking before/during/after pictures can be so rewarding when comparing them. Our weight can fluctuate all the time – sometimes we are gaining muscle and our weight can seem like its not changing at all, when in reality we have just been working out real good and built some muscle while burning fat at the same time, so the scale might not budge at this time…. I wrote more on the subject of fat vs. muscle here. Check it out for more info on that. Also, being a woman you might notice weight gain at the time of your period and that can also put a wrench in things. Basically, stop focusing on the scale, it’s not always right and it can sometimes cause frustration. Try the other ways of measuring your progress and you will feel satisfaction.

When following any diet plan, be proud of how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go. Be proud of any success you make whether its on the scale or an inch off your waist. All successes are created equal!

2. HAVE A PLAN!

Without a plan, where will you begin and where will you go? You’ll be confused and floundering when you could be making progress on your diet. When I say this I mean to plan everything! Doing this is like setting a goal. You want to reach your goals right? So, write it all out. Set goals and reach them! You’ll be amazed at how freeing you’ll feel. Plan your meals, plan your grocery list, prep your food ahead of time & plan your exercise. These are all keys to succeeding on this diet.

• Meal Planning: this can be daunting, and it takes time. But it’s so worth it. It will help you to not end up going out to eat and eating something you shouldn’t. It will instead guide you straight to the kitchen because you can’t use the excuse “I just don’t know what to eat?!”. You should plan at least a week ahead of time. I usually just plan dinners and eat leftovers for lunch the next day or plan for mixed salads throughout the week for lunches. And for breakfast & snacks you can plan on eating almost the same type of items every day, to make it easy on yourself. You can write it all out on a piece of paper or in a document on your computer. If you’re on the 17 Day Diet, we have created a meal plan for you. Pretty cool right? We do all the hard work: Meal plan for the week + grocery list. See it in the [app_link app="17DayDietMealPlan" platform="iOS" text="iTunes app store" location="Blog Post"] [app_link app="17DayDietMealPlan" platform="iOS" text="here" location="Blog Post"].
• Shopping List: this is the next step you take after writing up your meal plan for the week. Take the recipes you have picked and break them down into a food list. Remember to include any fruit or snacks you want to have during the week that are not listed in the recipes.
• Food Preparation: Preparing food ahead of time can mean a world of a difference to anyone who has a super busy life. By food prep I mean, take a day out to chop all the veggies and place in airtight containers in your fridge. You then will really have NO EXCUSE not to cook. Everything will be chopped up when you get home from work, exhausted. You can just throw what you need in a pot or pan (depending on what you’re cooking) and follow the recipe. You can also plan even further ahead by cooking up your meat’s ahead of time – grill chicken breasts or fish fillets and store them in airtight containers in the fridge until you are ready to heat up and use them throughout the week. It helps save time and keeps you from falling off the diet wagon. Prepare your food and you’ll always have healthy food waiting to be cooked or heated up for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• Plan your Exercise: This is just as important as food prep or meal planning. We all get lazy. We all just don’t feel like working out sometimes. But, if you set a time and a place and what you plan on doing ahead of time – you just might follow through! Especially if you make plans to do it with a friend! Friends can help hold you accountable. Read more below on that subject.

3. NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!

If you feel discouraged or overwhelmed or confused, ask for help! Find a support group online, seek out friends at your gym or work that you trust and ask them for motivation or support. Having to ask for help is sometimes hard, but a good friend pushing us is sometimes just the motivation we need. Friends can also help hold us accountable while on a diet, which can be a big help too. So be open with those you trust and this is just one more way you can be on the road to success. Having someone hold us accountable can make a world of a difference when following a diet. Letting your friends and family know you are on a diet can help – say you go out to eat with a family member and you are very tempted to order dessert…. well, if that family member knows you’re trying to follow a diet, they could help talk you out of “cheating” and help you realize its not the best decision. Another way having friends hold you accountable can help is finding a workout buddy. We all have our moments when it would be so much easier to just be lazy and not go work out – but if you have a workout buddy who relies on you, there is no way you would flake out on them – and they wouldn’t do that to you either. You push each other and that’s one of the best ways to help you get in shape – find an accountability partner!

I also wanted to point out that I am always here to answer any questions you may have regarding this topic or even if you just need a little motivation. Email me anytime.

Lets be honest with ourselves, diets are hard. Eating clean, following a meal plan, and creating/maintaining healthy habits takes hard-work and dedication. But dieting becomes even more complicated when you are on vacation. Follow these tips to keep you on track even while on vacation.

1. Indulge-don’t forget that you are on vacation. Enjoy every minute, heck you earned it.
2. Sharing is Caring-Share meals and treats with your travel buddy. I spent this last weekend in San Francisco and wasn’t going to let a sourdough bread-bowl pass me by. But instead of consuming one by myself I shared. Satisfying all my craving without the extra calories.
3. Walk and Walk Some More- one of the best ways to explore a city is to walk it. Walk to dinner, to a different bar, or monuments you would like to visit.  The more you walk the more calories you burn.
4. Get Your Fitness on-Find the time to workout. Choose a hotel with a gym or fitness center to get in a quick workout, visit a yoga studio, go hiking or go for a swim. Just do something to keep you in the habit and kick up your energy levels. You can also try one of our interval cardio workouts to burn mega calories in a short time. 
5. Eat at Least one Clean Eating Meal- choose one meal a day that will be clean. If you choose breakfast, have plain yogurt with honey and fresh fruit or an egg white omelet. Eating at least one clean meal a day will help keep you on track.
6. Be Mindful-Rule one was to enjoy yourself but be careful not to overdue it. Chew slowly and savor every bite of the chocolate cake you can diving into but don’t forget to stop eating when you become full.

Following these simple tips will help keep you on track without sacrificing your vacation.

Cauliflower Crust Garlic Breadsticks

Ingredients:

• 1/4-1/2 a head of cauliflower (about 2 cups) (Beneficial)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (Beneficial)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (Beneficial)
• 1 large egg (Beneficial)
• 4 oz low fat mozzarella cheese, grated (Beneficial)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper
• Cooking spray
• Optional for dipping:Marinara sauce (Neutral)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that paper hangs over the sides.
2. Lightly spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
3. Rice the cauliflower. To “rice,” grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater.
4. Cook “rice” in the microwave until soft, about 6-7 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
5. While the cauliflower cooks, beat the egg, garlic, 3 ounces of the cheese, 1/4 teaspoon dried italian herb seasoning, and salt and pepper.
6. Add cooked cauliflower to cheese mixture and combine.
7. Spread “dough” into your loaf pan.
8. Bake 30 minutes, remove from oven, flip over and bake an additional ten minutes on the other side. The bread sticks should be golden brown when you remove them from the oven the second time.
9. Cut the breadsticks into sticks, you will get about 8. Sprinkle with the remaining one ounce cheese and 1/4 teaspoon seasoning. Place back into oven for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts.
10. Serve with marina sauce or as an accompaniment to spaghetti made with whole wheat noodles for a full meal.

This routine is all about interval training. You will use varying amounts or speed and resistance to blast calories and keep your metabolism boosted all day long.

**Speed is difficult to gage as no elliptical is created equal. Follow the chart below to make the workout more personalized what may be your 3 could be my 5.

1: Slow, leisurely walk. “I can do this all day.
2: Deep Breaths “I can’t keep up a conversation at this pace.”
3:  Feeling good. “I can stay here 20-30 minutes.”
4: Really tough. “I can keep this pace for 5 minutes.”
5: ALL OUT sprint “I can only do this for a minute.”

Photo Provided by photostock, published on 23 August 2011Stock Photo – image ID: 10054353

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa, washed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Whisk together first four ingredients with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil in a medium pot with 1 tablespoon salt. After it reaches a boil reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove pot from heat and remove lid. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
4. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: Beef this up with a little extra protein. Dice up a block of firm tofu and add it to the mix.

Health Benefits of Drinking Water:

1. Healthier  Skin-Forget about  expensive creams or beauty treatments. Drinking water is the free way to hydrate your skin, prevent acne, and prevent wrinkles. 
2. Remove Toxins-Water flushes toxins from your body especially from your digestive tract. The kidney system is dependent on water to do its work. Water also helps get rid of excess nitrogen and ketones which is important when following a high protein diet.
3. Cushions and Supports Joints & Muscles-Water makes up a large part of the fluid that lubricates joints and also a lack of water is a known cause of muscle cramps.
4. Regulates Body Temperature-Drinking water regulates the bodies temperature which is important during exercise and these warm summer days.
5. Reduces Risk of Heart Attack- A study of 20,000 healthy men and women found that those who drank up to 8 glasses of water were less likely to die of heart attack or heart disease than those who only drank two cups daily.

Weight Loss Benefits:

1. Energy Shot-Dehydration causes fatigue and headaches staying hydrated all day is your best hope to avoid these symptoms.
2. Keeps You Full-Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. Drinking 8-16 ounces of water 15-30 minutes before meals will help you know the difference and perhaps cause you to leave a few bites on your plate. 
3. Burns Fat- Water aids digestion and metabolism for these functions to work properly you must replace the water you lose daily which can be up to 10 cups. 
4. Builds Muscle-Dehydration decreases protein synthesis which is the process that builds muscles costing you energy and causing your body to store calories instead of burn them.

Is water too boring for your palate? Try these 40 Spa Waters that are sure to add a little variety to your life.

If you are unsure of why our bodies need protein, check out “Get Your Protein.” The short story is that protein repairs muscle tissue, keeps you full, and provides the body with needed energy. In my friends case, meat, eggs, and dairy had been her number one source of protein for years and she didn’t know what to supplement her diet with when she cut those things out. Cutting out animal products can be an excellent way to be healthier and leaner if you approach it correctly which means getting enough protein.

Top Vegan Protein Sources:

1. Vegetables (dark leafy greens are the best)
2. Nuts & seeds
3. Grains (quinoa & oats are my favorites)
4. Legumes
5. Supplements (protein bars & powders)

Incorporating protein rich foods into your vegan or raw lifestyle will help bring you to a healthier and leaner state. My personal favorite source of protein is powder. It is a convenience thing. I can throw a scoop into a berry smoothie and have a protein packed meal anytime of the day. You also have a few options when it comes to vegan and even raw protein powder. Garden of Life Raw Protein packs 17 grams of protein in only 80 calories. PlantFusion Protein , Vanilla Bean, brings you great flavor and tons of protein (blend with 1 cup almond milk for a protein-rich snack). Hemp, soy, and rice protein are all also excellent choices. Try some vegan protein in this delicious, craving busting smoothie. And for more info on becoming vegan and making sure you get all the needed nutrients, see this book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to optimal performance in sports and life.

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy

• 1 cup soy or almond milk, vanilla
• 1/2 banana, frozen
• 1/3 – 1/2 avocado
• 1 cup ice
• 2 Tbsp dark chocolate cacao powder (dairy-free)
• 1-3 tsp agave
• 1 scoop or your favorite raw protein powder

If you are looking for a way to jump into cutting out animal products (the right way) check out these apps:
Raw Food Cleanse Complete for tons of delicious recipes including desserts and the 3 Day Diet Vegan for a quick start weight loss plan.

We also have a Vegetarian Meal Plan App for iPhone and iPad for anyone who doesn’t mind dairy and eggs.

You could also jump right in to the Raw food world and try a raw food cleanse to see if the diet is right for you. First check out our previous post “What Can A Raw Food Cleanse Do For You?”. We have apps for trying a cleanse out. You can do 3 days, 7 days, 14 days or 28 days. These cleanses will help rejuvenate your body, mind and even your spirit. If you can feel a difference after 3 days – imagine what it would feel like after 28 days! AMAZING! Our apps simply give you loads of recipes (smoothies ((like this one below)), juices, soups, salads, entrees and snacks). We also let you track your foods, exercise, water intake and weight – because one benefit to a cleanse is weight loss! Let me know if you have any questions about these apps or suggestions you’d like to see in them by contacting me here.

Or, just check out the apps here:
Raw Food Cleanse 3 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse 7 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse 14 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse 28 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse Complete - $2.99
(The complete version gives you the option of choosing 3 days, 7 days, 14 days or 28 days within the one app)

And now for the tasty recipe!

Creamy Nectarine & Blackberry Smoothie

1 large nectarine, pitted
1/2 large banana, peeled
1/4 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup water
ice cubes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into a glass and enjoy!