Its all about the chocolate.

Hey everyone I hope your having a great Saturday so far! I woke up early and snacked on half a banana

before heading to the gym to teach pump, My foot is still bugging me so no running today, hopefully it feels better soon!
Post workout all I wanted was some chocolate and of course its never a bad idea to add some greens!

In the mix

• 1.5 scoop of chocolate elite protein
• 1.5 C. almond milk vanilla unsweetened
• 7-10 ice cubes
• 1 tbs cocoa
• pinch of gaur/xanthan gum
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• Topped with a few chia seeds

This shake hit the spot this morning! That extra tbs of coca makes it oober chocolately!! Its starting to get hot here, FINALLY I think its safe to say summer is here! I have been loving it! And now we are off to enjoy this beautiful day!!

Spaghetti Shrimp

I love shrimp.
All seafood really.
I also love squash.. Spaghetti Squash.
I don't love cutting it. Although scraping out those "noodles" is kind of fun...
Combine two of my favorite things, add some veggies and you have..

{Spaghetti Shrimp}

Ingredients

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 1 green Bell Pepper
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 C. Marinara Sauce
• 1/2 C. chopped onion
• 2 cups of fully cooked shrimp

How to: 

Preheat oven to 350 

Cut spaghetti squash in half and bake by placing both halfs face down on cookie sheet, for 40 minutes, remove and using a fork scrape out your "noodles"

Saute your vegetables in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes 

Toss in your shrimp. Let cook till brown, about 5 minutes

Pour the marinara sauce in and mix in with your spaghetti squash

Voila! 

This dinner came together quickly. It was perfect, healthy, delicious!

After dinner we got the babes in bed and settled down watched this..

Just go with it!

Verdict? I loved it!! We were laughing almost the whole time!! I was nervous because I heard mixed reviews.  But we both really liked it! 

Q. Whats a good movie you have seen lately?

I hear bridesmaids is good, but not to sure I can talk Brent into it... 

HFCS

I recently received an email from a reader concerning HFCS.
What exactly is it?
HFCS stands for High Fructose Corn Syrup.

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To put it simply it is corn sugar. It is cheaper to produce and is hidden in several products at your grocery store.
When you consume HFCS it is quickly absorbed into your liver where it converts into fat. It lowers the level of "good" HDL cholesterol and raises your LDL cholesterol "bad"...Your brain doesn't recognize it so it so it shuts off the appetite center and you keep eating. Your blood sugar will skyrocket you will crash then you feel hungry again. Awesome huh?
HFCS is a sneaky little ingredient and can be found in almost anything processed.. even products that appear "healthy".  This ingredient alone can lead to an expanding waist line and is a leading cause of obesity in the U.S, as with any type of sugar.
As I was walking around the grocery store today I snapped a few pictures of things that contained HFCS and some even surprised me. I wasn't able to take more because my memory card was FULL!:( And people were giving me weird looks... haha! What I do for you guys..

Here are just a few....

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In fact it is in the top 2 ingredients!! 

Do any of these products look familiar? You might have a few of them in your fridge or pantry, you might eat/drink them every single day! Wondering why you can't lose weight? Dropping HFCS from your diet might just be your answer why!

How about this?

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A sandwich? What has HFCS in that? Would you be shocked if I told you that some wheat

Breads and lunch meats contain it? 

Be sure to check the ingredient list of every product you pick up!

*GIVEAWAY WINNER!!**      

Congrats to AIMEE!!!! Send your address to  me candice@bodyofamother.com and I'll get in the mail next week!

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The Big 2-5

My Birthday was great yesterday!! I had a great and busy day!! I didn't get to sleep in..  I woke up bright and early to teach a pump class.. which was a little rough cause I think I got food poisoning the night before so I'll spare you all the details..(I'm never eating out again..) but part of being a fitness instructor is having to go  into each class with a positive attitude and leaving all your problems out the door. As important as that is to do for the instructor I think EVERYONE should do that! It will make your workout better and make you feel better! 

It worked! After class I felt better and was ready to celebrate!!  I came home to 3 gifts on the table!! My husband knows how to make me smile. 

However, It was still really early and he and the babies were still sleeping so I decided to whip up some breakfast! Its my birthday so Ice cream smoothie was a given!

This hit the spot!!

In the mix

1 scoop of Vanilla Protein

5 frozen strawberries

1/2 frozen banana

1 tbs. of chia seeds 

1 handful of spinach

 Pinch of Xanthan/gaur gum for thickening

5 ice cubes

1 cup Almond Milk unsweetened

YUM!!!

Finally the fam woke up and I got to tear open my presents!!

(If you want lessons on how to get hair like mine... Just take a shower before bed, sleep wildly, wake up and hold down your crazy mane with a headband.) 

Present #1

Nike Free!!! I can't wait to take them on a run!! I have been having a crazy pain in my left foot so hopefully that subsides soon... Cross your fingers for me.. I'm going to the Dr. to get it checked.

Present #2

BOSSY PANTS!! I can't wait to read it! I have heard it is hilarious!! so Ill let you know! Has anyone read it yet?

Present #3 Cole Haan Nude Pumps!!

I promise my legs aren't that white.... 

I have been wanting new dress shoes FOREVER! I pinned these on my pinterest and my husband checked it out and now here they are!

We spent the rest of the day out on the lake, at red mango and a campfire! It was a great birthday!  All pics via Iphone.. and now my phone won't connect to the computer..? So I'll post them soon!! 

Hope your all having a great day!! 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!!

Teething Giveaway!

This morning I woke up super early with the determination to get things done around the house so I wouldn't have to worry about them throughout the day. Laundry, dishes, vacuuming etc. done before the babies woke up & 8 am! I loved it! Now, I don't even have to think about it! Its a beautiful day outside and we went out to enjoy it! Once the babies were up, I fed them breakfast and decided to have a muffin!! 

In this muffin I used the following.

• 2 tbs coconut flour
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 3/4C. pumpkin puree
• 1 tbs agave nectar
• handful of blueberries and 2 strawberries sliced.

You simply mix the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl then fold in the fruit and bake in the microwave for 3 minutes! If its still a little soft in the center cook for additional minute! Eat straight from the bowl or dump it on a plate!

While it was cooking I snacked on a couple of these..

nutty clusters! 

TEETHING?

Before I was a mom, I worked full-time in a pediatric dental office! I actually still work there for a few hours on fridays. But I want to review proper dental hygeine for infants/toddlers. 

Do you brush your babies gums?

Even if you baby doesn't have teeth yet you should wipe your baby's gums with a soft cloth or guaze. This will keep your baby's gums clean and get the him/her used to getting their mouth cleaned.

When do you start brushing you babies teeth?

As soon as they erupt!!! The most common teeth to first erupt is the two bottom front teeth, and yes you have to brush them!

Here is a chart provided by ada.org that shows about the time you can expect those little teethies to erupt. 

Primary Teeth Eruption Chart

 You have probably heard of "teething". Having discomfort is not uncommon, most baby's will experience it at some time while there teeth pop through the gum tissue. Discuss with you pediatrician before giving your baby anything for pain. This is what we have been instructed to use from our pediatrician.

My babies did not go for the normal teething toys that you think they should use. Toothbrushes as teething toys are genius. Most infant brushes have rubber on the end that they will love to chew on. If they are super uncomfortable and not sleeping very well I will administer about .8 of pain reliever. When I can see the tooth trying to pop through I rubbed a little teething gel every so often to also help with pain. (I think I have only used it once.) I also have used a cold wet rag to let them chew on, they get soaking wet but it makes them happy. 

..Best tips for healthy teeth..

Keep their teeth clean, brush, brush brush!! and FLOSS! It is just as important to floss your childs teeth as your own!! Little cavities inbetween the teeth are the most common in children.

Limit sugary foods

Don't give them a bottle to go to bed! NO formula, breast milk, juice etc. WATER only! 

Baby bottle rot is common and this is what to watch out for.

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The picture on the right is how it starts, white staining may appear long gumline. If ignored and bad habits 

continue you are most likely to end up with teeth on the right. Break the bottle habit asap!

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY!! 

I haven't done a giveaway for a long time!! I have a few others lined up as well! :)
You will receive a few of my favorite teething toys/remedies
Treats that cause cavities but a happy heart
A book full of other tips and oral hygiene instruction for you and your little one!

How to enter!
1. Become a follower of bodyofamother.com leave a comment saying so.

2. Leave another comment stating your favorite kind of toothpaste! For yourself or for your little one.

**BONUS

3. Follow me on twitter!!! @bodyofmother leave comment saying you do so.

I will announce the winner on FRIDAY!!
Ready set GO!!

***Tomorrow is a BIG day.. I'm turning 25!! So crazy... We have plans to go boating all day! I'm a little excited!!

Ragnar Review!

Ragnar Wasatch Back went off without a hitch. We had a great time with our friends. Our team name was "Duh Winning" in honor of the sleezeball Charlie Sheen. 

Ragnar races consist of two vans with 6 people in each one. Together you run 191 miles. With Wasatch Back you start in Logan, UT and finish in Park City UT. This race is so fun partly because of the team unity and confidence and strength you get from each other.. (especially at 2 am when you take a shot of major caffeine jump out of the van to run 7 miles) But its so fun to see other team names, costumes and van decorations! Ours was pretty stellar.

"The only thing I'm addicted to right now is winning." - Charlie Sheen.

"Duh Winning!"- Charlie. 

I loved having my husband do this race with me this year! He was amazing! We decided that we are going to do it together here on out! 

This is Brent getting ready for his first leg Friday Afternoon 4pm

I was the runner right after him, He passed off to me and snapped this pic of me walking around after finishing my first leg at about 5:30 PM

Many memories made in the honey bucket... hehe..

Some people actually take to long in the honey bucket and miss their exchange... hehe.. one of our teammates left miss kenz hangin. Don't worry he was only like a minute 

This is actually prior to starting our 3rd and final leg

This are all the peeps that we hung out/smelled in the van! 

Seriously, Yes its june in utah and once we got to the top of the mountain.. In fact they almost had to change the course due to the extreme amount of snow on the trail still! 

Towards the end of the race there is a hill.. THEE HILL known as Ragnar. It is a leg that has a 1,700ft elevation gain!!! No joke. Dirt Road-Straight up! There is actually a sign that says "rough, steep, winding hill fro the next 5 miles." motivating eh? Bless the souls in our van that did it. They rocked it. Better then I could ever do. In fact, I'd rather run 10 miles flat then 4 straight up! 

Our sprint to the FINISH!! We completed 191 miles in 29:42:28.9 hours.. 

Love this man. 

WAY TO GO team "DUH WINNING"'!!

Overall, this was an experience that will never be forgotten!! It is so fun to be in a van with 5 of your favorite people, eating, laughing, sweating and sleeping? together. If you have never had a chance to do one of these races I highly recommend you write it on your bucket list! This is a race anyone can do! It isn't as intimidating as a half or full marathon because you run less mileage with breaks in between adding up to an average of 17-20 miles in two days!  It will be one of best races of your life!

Q. Would you rather run 10miles flat or 4 miles uphill?


Q. Does your spouse run races to?
He does now!!! Let the addiction begin! ;)

happy fathers day.

Ragnar overview post will be tomorrow! The race was amazing! I can't wait to share all the details later, but for now I'm going to focus on today, fathers day!

This is Brents 1st fathers day!! The twinners woke up nice and early.... I ended up taking them downstairs to play while daddy got to sleep a little longer (Still running on less then 5 hours of sleep in the last 72 hours)...
I wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed, so I collaborated many of his favorite breakfast meals

• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Eggs
• Oatmeal
• Potatoes
• Bacon..

So many choices! I took a look around in my fridge and decided that a MOUNTAIN MAN breakfast was exactly what my handsome man deserves.

I know right?... I did say mountain...

Did I measure anything? Not really...

That's the thing about making a "mountain man" breakfast.. Mountain men don't use measuring cups! (Does any man ever use a measuring cup?) You just make do with what you have and it works out.  

I diced 3 potatoes and sauteed them in about 2 tbs of olive oil for about 20 minutes, stirring them often, until potatoes were soft.

Every man loves meat. I know mine does but I didn't have bacon/sausage so I used a log of jennie-o lean ground turkey that I seasoned with Brents favorite steak rub!

We picked this up at cabelas awhile ago and it really is delicious! and It also made the turkey taste just like a spicy sausage!  (Its a guy thing, not me thing..)

I sauteed 1/2 of a green pepper, a quarter of purple onion in a capful of olive oil  for about 5-7 minutes before adding 6 egg whites+ 1 yolk. When the eggs were almost done I threw in a diced tomato and a string cheese. 

-Make your Mountain. 

-Carry it upstairs while holding two babies and the camera.. 

Good morning!!! 

Later, after the church thing, we headed up to my dads for dinner!

Can you guess what was served? 

RIBS!!

and of course chicken, salad, potatoes,watermelon....

& drumroll...

CINNAMON ROLLS!!! 

I love my dad and the example he is in my life, he has always been there for me and my siblings and is one of my best friends. 

I love you daddy! (& B does to.)

My parents have an amazing backyard and are always getting little friends walking through... 

can you see her?

Happy Fathers day!!