Try the 3-Day Refresh with This Easy Meal Prep

I have been asked recently about what the 3-Day Refresh is and how it works. I am sharing a post written by Team Beachbody explaining what the Refresh is and an easy way to meal prep if you decide to do the 3-Day Refresh. The 3-Day Refresh is a great way to get back on track, or as a quick start right before you start a new program. Ask me how you can get yours for free!

Try the 3-Day Refresh with This Easy Meal Prep

July 8, 2016 | BY: Sabrina Tillman and Kirsten Morningstar

If you’ve tried all-liquid detoxes or juice cleanses, and suffered through the fatigue, headaches, and moodiness only to have the (mostly water) weight you lost creep back on quickly after you finished the regimen, there is another way to rev your metabolism and jumpstart a clean eating lifestyle.

The 3-Day Refresh combines three specially-formulated shakes plus one fiber drink with whole foods to help you de-bloat, squash cravings, and start eating more real, nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. Filled with plenty of nutrition, fiber, and good-for-you fats, this plan is short enough to make it doable in any circumstance — even if you’re traveling. Best of all, you don’t have to sit miserably at the dinner table with a cup of liquid while your family or friends enjoy a satisfying meal. You get to eat real food with them.

Ready to get started? We’ve made it easy to jump right in.

Here’s what your meals will look like when you’re done:

Day One and Three:

Upon Waking: 8–10 oz. glass of filtered water with optional lemon slice
Breakfast (within one hour of waking): Shakeology with 1 cup cantaloupe
Mid-Morning: Fiber Sweep mixed with 1 cup filtered water
Lunch (at least 1 hour after Fiber Sweep): Vanilla Fresh shake blended with 1¼ cup filtered water. Eat 12 strawberries, 5 asparagus spears roasted with 1 tsp. olive oil
Afternoon Snack (at least one hour after lunch): 2 medium stalks celery with 2 Tbsp. hummus
Dinner (at least one hour after afternoon snack): Vanilla Fresh blended with 1¼ cup filtered water. Veggie Stir-Fry, and 1 cup organic store-bought vegetable broth (optional) with ¼ cup fresh herbs.

Day Two:

Upon Waking: 8–10 oz. glass of filtered water with optional lemon slice
Breakfast (within one hour of waking): Shakeology with 1 cup cantaloupe
Mid-Morning: Fiber Sweep mixed with 1 cup filtered water
Lunch (at least one hour after Fiber Sweep): Vanilla Fresh shake blended with 1¼ cup filtered water. Eat 1 cup raspberries, ¾ cup cauliflower florets roasted with 1 tsp. olive oil and a dash of cumin
Afternoon Snack (at least one hour after lunch): ½ large carrot (or 5 baby carrots) with 2 Tbsp. hummus
Dinner (at least one hour after afternoon snack): Vanilla Fresh blended with 1¼ cup filtered water. Spinach Salad (recipe below), and 1 cup organic store-bought vegetable broth (optional) with ¼ cup fresh herbs.

Follow these instructions to make your meals quickly:

1.      Roast the asparagus and cauliflower. See preparation directions below.

2.      Make the Veggie Stir-Fry. See prep directions below.

3.      Next, build the spinach salad. See prep directions below.

4.      Now, put together the afternoon snacks. Cut 4 stalks of celery ribs, and cut the reserved half of the carrot into matchsticks. Divide the celery between 2 small food containers, and place the carrots in another container. Add 2 Tbsp. of hummus to each dish. Place in the refrigerator.

5.      If you’re going to include the optional vegetable broth in your 3-Day Refresh menu, fill three food containers with 1 cup of broth each. Add up to ¼ cup fresh herbs, like chopped parsley or cilantro.

6.      If you purchased a whole cantaloupe, cut it into cubes so that you have 3 cups of cut fruit. Divide evenly between 3 food storage containers or small plastic bags, and place them in the refrigerator.

7.      You’re already finished! That was fast, wasn’t it? Enjoy your 3-Day Refresh!

Quick Recipes and Food Preparation

Roasted Asparagus and Cauliflower Preparation

·       Heat oven to 400°F.

·       Arrange 10 asparagus spears on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tsp. olive oil, and season with Himalayan salt if desired.

·       On the same baking sheet, place ¾ cup of cauliflower florets and drizzle with 1 tsp. olive oil and a dash of ground cumin.

·       Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp.

·       Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

·       Divide asparagus evenly between two food storage containers, and place cauliflower in another container.

·       Place containers in the refrigerator.

Veggie Stir-Fry Preparation

·       Chop 1 clove of garlic, ½ inch of ginger, 1 cup of green beans, 2½ large carrots (reserve the other half carrot), and 1½ red bell peppers.

·       Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and ginger. Stir frequently for 1–2 minutes.

·       Add green beans, carrots, bell peppers, ¼ tsp. sea salt, and 2 Tbsp. vegetable broth.

·       Cook for 5–7 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender crisp.

·       Set aside to cool for 20 minutes, then divide evenly between 2 food storage containers.

·       Place in the refrigerator.

Spinach Salad Preparation

·       In a large food storage container, place 2 cups baby spinach, ½ cucumber, ½ red bell pepper, ¼ cup sprouts, and ½ of a tomato.

·       Top with 1 tsp. sunflower seeds, and place half a lemon in the dish.

·       When you’re ready to eat, squeeze the lemon over the salad as a dressing.

GROCERY LIST
Fruit
1 medium cantaloupe (or 3 cups cubed cantaloupe)
1 container raspberries
24 medium strawberries
1 lemon

Vegetables
2 cups baby spinach
1 bag cauliflower florets (or 1 small cauliflower)
1 cup green beans
3 carrots
1 bunch celery
2 red bell peppers
1 small container of sprouts (radish, alfalfa, or broccoli)
1 medium tomato
1 small cucumber
10 asparagus spears
1 bunch parsley or cilantro, optional
garlic
ginger

Miscellaneous
26 oz. low-sodium, organic vegetable broth
1 tsp. sunflower seeds
prepared hummus (pick a hummus with a short, clean ingredients list)

Pantry
olive oil
cumin

Back to Basics with 21 Day Fix

Yesterday was the start of another Beachbody Health Bet where you commit to exercising a minimum of 3 times a week and drinking Shakeology a minimum of 5 days a week and logging them in the My Challenge Tracker App for 4 weeks. At the end of 4 weeks, those completing the requirements will win an equal share of a minimum $2 million dollar pot. Last Fall ,the first Health Bet was run and participants won a whopping $16.33. Not a lot of money but shows that there were a lot of people who completed the Challenge and hope that they continued on the path to leading the healthy and fulfilling life that Beachbody promotes.

The program I committed to for this Heath Bet is 21 Day Fix, the first Beachbody program I tried and had success with. I did start using my colored containers to measure my portions and balance out my nutrition but went to the gym for a Body Pump class instead of doing the first workout on the calendar, Total Body Cardio Fix. This morning I did the scheduled workout and forgot how hard it really is. A little 30 min workout, including the warm up and cool down, burned 299 calories according to my Garmin M400...and that is doing the workout low impact and using modifications so that I do not further injure my torn meniscus. What I find so impressive about Beachbody workouts is that they always have a "Modifier". Someone on the DVD who shows options for each exercise so that everyone, at any level of fitness, can do the program with success. Autumn Calabrese, the trainer, encourages you with motivational quotes the whole time and really makes you push hard.

The workout scheduled for tomorrow is "Upper Fix"...I don't remember what this workout consists of...just hope that it is not full of push ups.  Those are my nemesis! But, whatever it consists of, I will give it my all!

Chicken "Tortilla" Soup in the Instant Pot

I am sure that everyone's Mom had an old-fashioned stove top pressure cooker back in the day. That old heavy pot that you sealed and placed the pressure regulator weight on top...and warned that you had to release the pressure slowly or it would explode. Yes, that thing that scared me so that I never used one. Fast forward to the 21st Century and the inter-webs are full of blogs talking about the Instant Pot...basically the branded electric, programmable pressure cooker. The tool that will speed up your meal preparation for your family. Well, the price dropped around the Thanksgiving holiday so I jumped at the chance and ordered one and have been saving recipes to adapt and experiment with.

Recently, my husband and I picked up some Chicken Tortilla Soup from Costco and I thought it would make an excellent lunch on this chilly day but needed something without all that excess sodium and added sugar. With some thawed out chicken breasts, although they might have been able to be used frozen, and pantry staples, I managed to whip up a tasty substitute with my new Instant Pot friend. The "Tortilla" is in quotation marks as no tortillas were used to reduce the carbohydrates.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10 oz can of Ro*tel tomatoes
1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 Cups frozen corn
4 Cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp Southwest Mrs.Dash
2 chicken breasts

Directions

Melt oil on "saute" temperature and add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent and soft. Add the rest of ingredients, seal, press the "Soup" function and walk away. This is when the "magic" happens. The Instant pot came to pressure and cooked for about 20 mins. I let i sit about 10 min NPR before I released the rest of the pressure. Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to the soup in the pot. Adjust spices to taste and top with shredded cheese, green onions or topping of choice. 

It really was a tasty and hearty soup that will be great for quick lunches during the week.

"Upgrade" for 2017

It has been quite a while since my last blog post and think it's about time I start to do it regularly again for my own journey or "Upgrade".  In reading my favorite blogs and Social Media postings of people I follow, instead of making New Year Resolutions, everyone seems to be choosing a "Word for the Year" to focus on.  It took me a while to decide on what "My Word for 2017" would be until I decided on "UPGRADE". 

The Oxford Dictionary defined Upgrade as:

"To raise (something) to a higher standard, in particular improve (equipment or machinery) by adding or replacing components"

I don't need any components replaced yet, while my knees sometimes think otherwise, I am going to keep "upgrading" myself by making little changes and improvements to my operating system. I will be true to myself and make the little changes I need to make to be the best version of myself. Not a "New Me" but an "Upgraded Me".

Looking forward to "Ruth 2.0" or, more realistically, "Ruth 55.1" as it has taken me 55 years to become who I am today!