Why Advocare?

So a lot of you have reached out to me about Advocare, which is AMAZING and I am so happy you did! I have a passion for helping people become happier, healthier, and more confident in their skin so I decided to become a distributor for Advocare. I have seen great results with their products and would recommend it to anyone. Advocare is really a great company that has many great products, they're an elite nutrition company with over 90 products. 

Some of the products that I have tried are Spark- which is amazing (pink lemonade is my fave) It gives me a clear mind and enough energy to make it through the day. I also use Catalyst, I take 3 before I workout because it helps eliminate fat and tone lean muscle. I have tried the chocolate mocha meal replacement shake, it was super yummy and creamy and filled with SO much protein. 

Some of the products I really want to try are the Lemon Cake Shake, the Slam, Sleep Works, Recovery. I cannot wait to start ordering some of these! 

If you have ANY questions about Advocare or are interested and want more information please please please feel FREE to contact me anyway

instagram: meganmichellejourney

:)

Avocado Mousse- YUM

It has been so busy lately so I apologize for the lack of posts BUT I do need to share an awesome, delicious, healthy recipe that my sister made me. 

Brenna came up for a couple nights to visit me and our other sister Amanda, it's been so great having her here!! We all got in our upper body workout this morning- we will be sore tomorrow, for sure. 

Anyway on to this recipe...

Avocado Mousse

4 ripe avocados

1/2 C. semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 C. agave nectar

1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 C. almond milk (we used Fairlife brand of regular milk)

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. fine salt

fresh raspberries for garnish

Brenna also made some homemade whip cream, which consisted of heavy whipping cream, a spoon full of powdered sugar and a few drops of pure vanilla extract all whipped up! 

Please give this a try when you have a sweet tooth! It is a nice, creamy, rich, delicious dessert :) 

The Fourth and a nummy recipe

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July! 

It was such a nice, long weekend for us. Dillon and I went on cruise on Gull Lake to see fireworks at Breezy Point, it was so much fun and definitely something different to do for date night! Saturday, we went to the parade, had BBQ at grandmas, and then finished the night with fireworks in Brainerd... I swear they have the best show- the fireworks are huge and right above where you sit, it's amazing! 

Today I made mason jar salads, I can't wait to try them and see how long they stay fresh. They're supposed to be good up to 7 days! You start by layering your dressing (any dressing you want), then your hearty vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, radishes etc), then softer vegetables (sprouts, mushrooms, onions, avocado), then anything like quinoa, rice, pasta etc, then your protein (meat, eggs etc), then on top is your lettuce mixture, nuts, and cheese if you want it! 

My sister Brenna also tried overnight oats this weekend and told me that they were SO good and she would definitely recommend them, so sometime this week I want to get the ingredients and give them a try and let y'all know how they are!

I also said I would let you know how my Zucchini bread was... well, it was DELICIOUS and a huge hit in this household! Here is the recipe

1/2 C. vanilla greek yogurt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/3 C. coconut oil

2 tbsp. honey

3 tbsp. very ripe banana (mine was about one banana)

1/2 C. lightly packed brown sugar (mine is a stevia brand)

1/2 C. oat flour (blended oats)

1 C. flour (mine is a GF flour)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 C. lightly packed grated zucchini

1/2 C. dark chocolate chips (mine was enjoy life brand)

Preheat to 325 degrees and bake for 40-50 minutes

A friend was also asking about a Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe that I have, so I would like to share that as well. It is good for salads, grilled veggies etc. 

2 tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tbsp. Fig balsamic vinegar (Autumn Harvest brand is good)

1/4 tsp. dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. chopped thyme

1/4 C.  blood orange infused olive oil (Autumn Harvest brand is good)

salt and pepper to taste

It makes about a half cup

I believe those brands you can find in some grocery stores or Amazon. 

Another one for regular homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette is

1/3 C. olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinager

1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic (minced or pressed)

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

1 tbsp. lemon juice

I will keep finding dressings too, it's always nice to have some in your recipe book :)

Monster cookie protein balls? Say What!

These were a HUGE hit in our house when I made them. They're so yummy and filled with protein!

1 C. Oatmeal

1/2 C. Natural Peanut Butter (I used almond butter)

1/4 C. Honey (I used Agave Nectar)

1 Scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I'm sure any kind would work)

Mini M&Ms

Mini dark chocolate chips

Mix all together in a bowl, make into balls and put in the fridge! I doubled the batch which was perfect for us. 

My friend had showed me a blog with a TON of good healthy recipes on it. 

Chelsea's Messy Apron

Right now I have the Zucchini bread in the oven, I will let you know how it goes! I have never made it before, so we will see :)

Tomorrow I plan to run 8-10 miles, I haven't decided yet. I hope you all have a fun, active, healthy weekend :)

who wants an awesome leg day workout?!

This past Tuesday, I put together a leg workout for my sister and I to do at the gym. Little did I know... I was not expecting to STILL be sore... It's definitely a good sore but oh my gosh my hamstrings are killing me! So I thought I need to share this, here it is

Front Squats (regular squats) with weights - 3 sets, 20 reps

Sumo Squats with weights - 3 sets, 20 reps

Goblet Squats with weights - 3 sets, 15 reps

Deadlifts - 4 sets, 15 reps

Split Lunge with weight - 3 sets, 10 reps

Calf Raises (normal, inward, outward) - 1 set, 30 reps, 1 set, 10 reps

Hamstring Leg Row w/ball - 4 sets, 30 seconds

Squat with a band around ankles and walk 20 steps one way and 20 steps back

For the front squats and sumo squats I used 25lb weights, for the goblet squat I used 35lb and then for the deadlifts I put a 25lb on each side of the bar. 

I hope you all give this a try, because your legs will be burning for days :)

On another note, last weekend I got to spend some quality time with my family! We were able to go for a jog with my mom, step dad, and sister. 

My dad, step brother, and my dads cousin did the MS150 bike ride. They start in Duluth, MN and bike to White Bear Lake, MN in two days. It's for an amazing cause. My grandpa and grandma both have Multiple Sclerosis and all the funds raised by each biker go to finding a cure for MS. 

If any of you try the leg day workout, let me know how it goes - I would love to hear about it!! 

Oh and here's a picture of one of my oh so cute dogs, Levi

My Wellness Journey, So Far

I wanted to share with you my wellness journey as of now. 

I have struggled with many things throughout the years, such as weight gain, destructive eating habits, learning what foods are actually nutritious. I have tried multiple things to help me be "healthy" throughout the years but now I am finally learning what is actually good for me versus what people think is good for you. 

When I was growing up, we always had processed, packaged food around our house along with many fresh fruits and vegetables. As a kid, I would say I was a little overweight. I would eat whatever and did not have a good idea of what was actually nutritious for my body and what was destructive to my body. I was always active as a kid with sports such as soccer and hockey. As the years went on and high school came around I was a little more aware of what was good for my body, but I still was no where near as educated as I wish I had been. 

My first year of college, I was a very confused girl. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and I was just going through the motions by going to classes, meeting new people, becoming best friends with my roommate. I did not take my health seriously at that time. I was rarely active and did not make the most nutritious decisions. After that year, I moved back home and started focusing more on exercise and making better eating choices. I started making more smoothies (fruits, flax seed, protein, yogurt, real cranberry juice), my family had done a really nice detox (removing all the bad toxins and cleansing your insides) and making sure I had a dinner with a protein, fat, and veggie. 

Within the last year, I have turned my life around. I have not been tested for a gluten intolerance, but I have played around with gluten and found out that I feel 100% better when I stay away from it. Many people think being gluten free is a fad diet right now and that buying GF items will make you healthy and lose weight, but in reality it is a serous cause and a lot of people need the options of gluten free. By no means does that mean all GF foods are healthy, some are still processed and packaged just like regular foods. When I would eat breads, wheat pastas, flour, oats etc., I would feel extremely bloated to the point where I felt sick, I would be gassy, I also would have no energy to want to do anything after I ate. Since removing that from my eating, I have felt great, I hardly ever get that nasty bloated feeling. Thank goodness!

I am currently training for a half marathon in August and I have grown a love for weight lifting (I lift about 4-5 days a week and run 3-4 times a week). Right now I focus on flexible dieting but a lot of my recipes are considered paleo. I have three paleo cookbooks that I love, everything is delicious. My step sister has been cooking paleo for quite some time now and she loves it, she has mentioned that she feels so much better and has so much more energy. One goal of mine is to keep making more and more recipes from those books because I know I feel better when I eat whole foods.

I know I have a long road ahead of me to get where I want to be in my journey but I have also realized its a lifelong journey that I will always be working on and being committed to a healthier lifestyle. I am here to help others in their wellness journeys and able to give them the right resources along the way. I really enjoy talking health, fitness, nutrition, or life- so don't be afraid to contact me. 

Always be inspired, 

Megan Michelle

4K

I am proud to say that Dillon ran his first race ever today!!!

It was a 4K (about 2.5 miles) and we both finished in 25 minutes. He did so great and I am so proud! 

Today was an off day for me with my running, but I am glad that he was there because he pushed me to just keep on going - which is exactly what I needed! 

Races are a fun way to do something together and it'll be fun to see what races are ahead for both of us :)

On another note, I made a fabulous chicken salad this past week (recipe shared through my awesome step-sister)

Salad

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 C. pecan pieces, toasted

2 C. red seedless grapes, halved

3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

Dressing

1 C. mayonnaise (I used Spectrum brand)

4 tsp. apple cider vinegar

5 tsp. honey

2 tsp. poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

I definitely recommend it. And if you use the right mayonnaise, it's pretty good for you! 

Have an awesome Saturday, my friends!!