Clean Eating Zucchini Lasagna

This is seriously one of my favorite meals! It's comfort food at it's finest but healthy! The whole family really loved this dish and it's now one of my new favorites. I totally encourage you to make this but of course use good portion control and pair it with a salad. This isn't a meal I would want to eat every day but it's nice to have once a week or every other week. 

So here is how you make it ....

 Ingredients:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 or 4 small zucchini sliced lengthwise
• 24 oz of low fat or 1% cottage cheese (I use the costco cottage cheese)
• 1 jar of no sugar added spaghetti sauce
• Non fat or low fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Combine onion, ground turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder in a skillet and brown turkey until no longer pink.
• Layer Zucchini in the bottom of your pan, then spread a layer of cottage cheese, follow that with a layer of ground turkey mixture, spread a layer of sauce on top.
• Repeat this over again.  Then layer one final row of zucchini on top and cover with sauce and a little sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes then remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Yes it will be a little bit runny due to the water in the zucchini, sauce and the cottage cheese.  I used a slotted spoon to scoop out the lasagna which allows the liquids to stay in the dish. 

Clean Eating Lasagna Soup

Last night we had this amazing dinner above. Best part about it, it tasted like a cheat but was actually CLEAN. Now this isn't the kind of meal I would eat every single night but it's good to have once a week and the family loved it. My husband is chopping on the leftovers and bragging about how good that soup is. I call it a WINNER!! 

Ingredients: 

8 ounces broken whole wheat lasagna noodles {{about 10 noodles}} 

1 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1 Onion Chopped 

1/2 pound of turkey hot or sweet Italian Sausage 

3 cloves of garlic 

1 tsp dried oregano 

2 Tbsp of tomato paste {{no sugar added, organic preferred}} 

4 cups of low sodium chicken broth 

1 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes 

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup almond milk/coconut milk

Ricotta cheese for topping

Directions: 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain; drizzle with olive oil and toss.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage, garlic and oregano and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles, basil, parmesan and almond or coconut milk; simmer 2 more minutes.
Divide the soup among bowls. Top with ricotta and sliced basil.

Next time - I will leave the noodles out and add them in as I eat. I noticed that they got soggy as they sat in the fridge as leftovers. 

Holiday Fit Tips

I can NOT believe that the holiday season is already here!! I really feel like it was just January and I was making New Years resolutions! Anyone else feel like this year flew by? BECAUSE IT DID!! 

No Christmas Decorations are up over here yet but SOON. I notice the houses around us starting to put lights up and it is getting me so excited. I can't wait to take the girls around to do all the fun holiday stuff. Honolulu really goes all out with Christmas and making it a Joyful time of year. Fake snow, decorations, festivals, and cheer. It's fun here during this time of year. The weather may not feel like Christmas time but they sure do make up for that with everything else. 

BUT ... With the Holidays coming so does BUSY schedules, parties, festivities, and FOOD! It's so hard to stay on track. You have less time to workout, more family events, and traveling. 

The average person gains 7-15 lbs during the Holiday season. That's JUST CRAZY!! No wonder we all have New Years Resolutions to loose weight. Don't ruin all the hard work you did all year to just gain it back. NO GOOD! 

Living HEALTHY and CLEAN is a lifestyle. I enjoy my cake but I also enjoy my workouts. They are non

 

negotiable.  So ... I have some tips for you to keep you on track this Holiday season!! These are the same tips I follow each year to keep away from the weight gain and bloat.


1. Workout in the Morning!
Getting up and just doing your workout first thing in the morning gets it out of the way and helps fight stress through out the day. If you plan to do it at night something will ALWAYS come up!! The holiday season is unpredictable. I always feel amazing and have a great day when I get up and create the habit of just doing it right when I wake up. It also gets it out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of the day with family and friends. Even just a quick 25 min workout is good! Right now I've really been loving my T25 workouts because they are short but effective and I'm done and on to my busy day. VERY HELPFUL!

2. Stick to a Routine! 

Having a Routine in Place during the season is IMPORTANT to staying on track. When you make a schedule you are planning for success. Every Sunday I sit down and look at my week and schedule out all my workouts, what time i'm doing them, and what I'm eating. I even schedule my one free meal so I know when i'm having it and can get right back on to eating my clean eats. 

I tend to do my workouts at the same time each day because I know if I just get up and do it it's done. Find a time that works for you but don't schedule anything else during this time. Treat it as if it's an important meeting. Make this time for YOU. After your workouts have a high protein breakfast so you can get your fuel for the day and come dinner time you aren't starving. I love protein pancakes and of course my Shakeology. 

3. Bring Healthy Dishes to the Parties 

The moment you get that invite from someone inviting you to a holiday party or dinner offer to bring a dish. This will give you at least ONE healthy option to choose from and you can count on filling up on that and having smaller portions of the bad stuff. You can easily make your holiday dishes healthier by just making a few swaps. 

Instead of Butter use Olive Oil 

Instead of Sugar use all natural Sugars like Stevia 

Instead of white flour use whole wheat flour, almond flour, or quinoa 

4. Find Balance! 

This is a FUN time a year that we all look forward to. It's a time to be thankful and spend time with family and friends. A time to sit back and reflect on your accomplishments from the year. Don't deprive yourself from all of your favorite holiday meals and traditions. Life isn't about that!! You need to find balance in everything that you do. Eat clean and workout when you aren't invited to parties and events that way when the time comes up you can still enjoy yourself. Follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time you want to eat clean but you still have that 20% to play with. I totally enjoy myself at this time of year but I never over do it and I make sure I stay on track through out MOST of the time. This allows me to enjoy myself the rest of the time. 

5. Eat, Drink,  and Be Merry 

I know A LOT of people who won't eat a whole day when they know they have a cheat meal planned for that evening. I've been guilty of this quite a few times but the best thing is to NOT do this. If you don't eat all day you will be starving come dinner time and over eat. 

Stick to your normal eating schedule during the day. Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack ... DINNER

Include Lean Protein, Healthy Fats, Fruits, and Veggies. 

Healthy fats include avocado, olive oil, nuts .. things like that. 

This way when dinner rolls around you can portion out your cheats. Have a little of everything and not over do it.  

Don't stress about it!! Be happy and healthy!! Enjoy yourself but also be sensible. You need food !! Don't deprive your body all day or the next day just because you had a cheat meal. Get right back on track. Do away with the negativity and guilt and just move on. A few cheat meals are not going to hurt you as long as you stay on track the rest of the time. 

6. Don't forget to drink your water 

It is so easy to forget your water in take through the holidays because of the cold weather and the cocktails and wine that is around. Enjoy a drink or two but make sure that you get YO water in!! 

You should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces. I know sounds like a lot but just try it. You will see that you have so much more energy and get full a lot faster. I set timers on my phone to remind me to drink my water because I even get busy and sometimes need a little reminder. 

7. Create Healthy Holiday Traditions 

This time of year is all about celebrating family and friends and coming up with traditions that remind you of each other and this special time of year together. 

Start a tradition of joining a local 5K run/walk with family and friends. There are so many runs this time of year with good causes it's a way to do something as family, do something for good for the community, and start a new healthy tradition. 

My family has a tradition of taking a family walk after our big holiday meal. We all walk around the neighborhood just talking and walking off our food. Great way to get moving and also share that bond. This is one of my favorite things we do because we just laugh, have fun, and most of all we are TOGETHER! No electronics or any distractions. It's so nice. 

Make a new healthy holiday dish the whole family loves and demands to have every year. 

8. If you are traveling over these holidays I have a slew of tips for you on 

Tips for Eating Healthy while on Vacation

You want to have your cooler packed, your workout program or running shoes with you, and be PREPARED! 

Enjoy these times with family and friends!! Relax and enjoy your HEALTHY LIFE! It doesn't mean your LIFE is over or you have to scarifies everything because of it. Just make a plan and I promise you will feel so much better and actually enjoy these days with out feeling sluggish and bloated. 

If you want to get a Jump start on your health and fitness before the New Years and get right back on track after Thanksgiving I have one last group of the year on December 2nd. It's a 30 day challenge group. We will be focusing on clean eating, Replacing one meal a day with Shakeology, and I will provide you tips to stay on track this season like the ones above. I'll share my weekly meal plans and keep you motivated and accountable. These accountability groups are where the MAGIC happen. It's easy to give up when it's just you but when you have a team of individuals supporting you, doing it right long side you, and cheering you on you stick with it. 

Marlena Hedine's Final October Challenge "Gimme that Little Black Dress"

The holidays are coming into town!! Summer is OFFICIALLY over and the colder weather is rolling in. That means big sweaters, boots, holiday food, candy, desserts, family pictures, skinny jeans, and less time and money! There are a million excuses of why you should just give up the next 80 ish days of the year and just wait till January. I'm a busy Mom too, I get it! October for me means my girls birthday party, our vacation to the Big Island, my MIL is in town, we are going to stay a night at the Disney resort, and trick or treating. Basically every weekend this month is Jam packed and I don't think November is showing any signs of slowing down. Next will be Thanksgiving and then flying home for a three week holiday with my family. My point is the perfect time will NEVER come!! You will never be fully prepared to chase after your goals and dreams.

1. I'll just wait until January to get started this year is already almost over. It's too late. 

2. The baby won't sleep at night and I am getting up a MILLION times a night. <--- Been there! 

3. Shakeology is just TOO expensive

4. I have too many other expenses this month

5. My toddler is cranky and clingy 

6. I am so tired all of the time. There are not enough hours in the day. 

YEP, I've given almost every single one of these excuses and they are totally legit and REAL Excuses. However, I have learned along the way that you can ALWAYS give up a little time. Right now as you sit and ready this blog, watch your Tv Show, and play your computer games you could knock out a workout. You could literally pop in T25, get a 25 min workout DONE, and DVR your favorite show and then watch it in the same amount of time it would have taken you to sit on the couch and watch every last commercial. 

Sometimes it just takes sitting down rearranging your schedule, your determination, drive, and your power to change. 

Then it comes down to your nutrition. You could also to choose to get an exercise program going but never really change your diet. You will never quite reach the goals that you were hoping to receive. It's easy to continue with your counting calories but continuing on consuming over processed, fatty, and high sodium food. But it's REALLY HARD to continue working out so hard and never see the results you worked so hard to get. YUP! I've been there! Honestly, I use to use my workouts as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted but never quite had the results I was wanting to get. Clean eating doesn't mean you are giving up all of your favorites it just means you are learning how to cook your favorites DIFFERENT, HEALTHIER, and in a way that is going to get you the results you are looking to get. It's time to start watching what you put in your mouth. Ditch counting calories Stop depriving yourself every day with crazy starvation diets where you only eat carrots and drink water. 

YUP, it's time to learn how to eat REALLY REALLY yummy food that leave you full and satisfied. 

Nope, I'm not talking about following crazy recipes that have 10 million ingredients and one is from China or India. HA! 

Just NORMAL Clean Eating FOOD! Kid and Hubby approved Yummy and Clean Eats! 

All of my favorites which included some crock pot meals, oven baked dishes, healthy breakfast recipes,  quick and easy snacks. 

I think it's SERIOUSLY TIME!! The TIME will NEVER be perfect but if you start NOW you could accomplish SO MUCH MORE! 

The sooner you make a change, the sooner you will have more energy, more confidence, and the ability to go out and do things you couldn't do before! 

                         

So this is where I want to help you!! I was in the SAME spot as you 1 year ago. I finished my very own challenge group in October and was down 35lbs. I could of easily gained all of that weight back during the holiday months but instead I continued with my journey and lost even more inches and pant sizes. I did not let the holidays leave any room for excuses. This is where I want to help you do the same. 

I have my next challenge group opening on October 28th and I only have room for FIVE more and then i'm closing the group up! 

If you are looking to get a customized health and fitness plan by ME as your Beachbody Coach then your next step would be to enroll in my 60 day health and fitness challenge. I can hook you up with T25, Insanity Brazil Butt Lift, TurboFire and SO many more programs!! 

Also I will share my weekly meal plan, recipes, tips, strategies for staying focused during foot ball parties, cocktail hours, and holiday parties. How do you handle emotional eating, stress eating and cravings?!?! All of these things will be discussed and covered in the 60 days. Lastly, each member of the group is required to replace one meal a day with Shakeology. Shakeology is not a DIET shake or a PROTEIN SHAKE!! Let me say that again ... SHAKEOLOGY IS NOT A QUICK WEIGHT LOSS SHAKE OR PROTEIN SHAKE!!! 

It's a COMPLETE MEAL! This means it has proper carb to protein ratio so that you can stay full for at least 3 hours, it curves your sweet tooth, gives you natural energy (ditch that mid day second cup of coffee), and naturally helps you loose weight by giving you a controlled portion side. Shakeology is equivalent to eating 5 salads ONE meal! SO if you tend to skip veggies like I use to, skip meals, or make bad choices because of lack of planning and time then SHAKEOLOGY WILL BE YOUR SAVING GRACE!! PROMISE! 

Try it for 30 days! If you don't think it's worth it return it and get a full refund. If you are interested in being apart of this group then fill out the application below. 

This is what your meal plan could look like: 

                       

So are you in!?!? RSVP RIGHT AWAY! Spots will go quick! 

Ready to Lean OUT & get READY for SUMMER!?!?

So.. Let's break it down and keep it REAL! I've noticed that many of you struggle with getting your meal plans together and figuring out what you can and can't eat. I get that!! I actually found my specific coach when I was googling "clean eating". I had NO idea where to start or HOW to form a meal plan. I was LOST. She gave us some tips and shared her meal plans (which I NOW do) but it would of been SO NICE to have a meal plan created for me my first month during the challenge so that I could get a good idea on where to go from there.

I really do like letting my customers and challengers LEARN how to create their own but I decided to do something SPECIAL for this next challenge STARTING APRIL 8TH!!! Another coach and I are going to team up together and create the perfect meal plan for you along with some recipes. It will be the perfect combo to get you the BEST results. Of course you will have to adjust the portions according to your weight and program you are using but since we know the jist of what you will be eating we can guarantee you the BEST results. We will work closely with you and teach you the clean eating principals and share our tips and recipes in our Secret Challenge Group through Facebook.

I'm SO excited about this opportunity that I get to offer you and I'm only Taking the first FIVE! These will be the ELITE FIVE because I have NEVER offered this type of service until NOW!

Let's roll back to where I started. I had my second baby 16 months ago. Before having my baby girl I was a size 8 and was pretty content with my body. Of course like every girl I wanted to loose those last 10-15lbs.
I was always searching for the EASY fix though - The magic Pill, The diet plan, the workout, the perfect cream ... but let me let you in on the little secret ... THERE IS NO EASY FIX!! It's HARD work and DEDICATION and BEACHBODY workouts WORK and Shakeology has given me the nutrition that my body needed and it was a great stepping stone on teaching me how to eat clean. It's the one meal I don't even have to think about.

After having my baby girl I gained 40lbs. It was a HUGE SHOCK to go from weight 130-135lbs to 175. I about fainted. I'm only 5'4'' and was just SHOCKED! None of my clothes fit, I was depressed and cried daily.

I decided to get my booty to the gym when she was 3 months old. I went and worked my booty off but wasn't really seeing the results. I was eating healthier and trying to make the best choices I could but I just wasn't getting anywhere.

So I joined a challenge group and decided that I was going to give Shakeology a try and TurboFire. Over 90 days I lost 40 lbs and was in a size 6. Because of continuing with Shakeology I am now in a size 4.

I learned how to eat clean and what WAS and WASN'T good for me to eat. Over the process I learned so much about Nutrition and what I needing to fuel my body for the BEST results. I want to give that to you. I KNOW that you can do this!! Nutrition plays a HUGE role in your success.  I'm here to support you and push you to success. I want to provide you with everything that you need to succeed and be in those shorts and bikini's in time for summer.

Here is an Example Day in the meal plan you can expect to get when joining this SPECIAL challenge:

Breakfast: One serving or Shakeology, 8oz of Unsweetned Almond milk, 8oz of water, handful of ice, pb2 or all natural pb and Blend. 

AM Snack: 1/2 cup of Greek Yogurt, drizzle of honey, and a handful of blueberries. 

Lunch: Chicken, Apple, and Hummus Pita

  1 Small 4-inch whole wheat pita

  2 Tbsp Hummus

  3 oz of grilled chicken breast

 1/4 small green apple, sliced 

 2 Tbsp Chopped red onion 

 1/4 cup baby spinach leaves 

 Open Pita, spread hummus, thin layer of chicken, onion, apple, and spinach 

                     

 PM Snack: 1 Celery Stalk, 1tbs of all natural PB, and 5 raisins 

  Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore 

  4 oz Chicken Breasts 

  4 medium zucchini, cut into 1- inch pieces 

  1 medium onion, cut up into wedges 

  26 oz tomato sauce 

  1 12 oz box whole wheat rotini pasta 

  Place the first three ingredients into a slow cooker. 

  Pour in the sauce. Cook  for 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high. 

  Prepare the pasta as per the box directions.

  Serve 1 cup of Chicken mixture over 1 cup of pasta. 

I'll be doing it right along with you. I have exactly 12 weeks till My Beachbody Summit Trip to Vegas and i'm ready to CRUSH IT! So join me!! Let's do this together.


So are you with me!? It's right after Easter and it's the perfect time to get things together just in time for summer.




Where - YOUR HOUSE!!!

When - Monday April 8th

Contact me HERE ASAP to reserve your spot and added to the secret challenge group.

You are required to join my challenge group and commit to posting daily. My services and training are FREE, but i do require some control so that I can guarantee your weightloss success in the 30 days working close with me and Alyson.
Shakeology is a requirement and you have the option of getting a new workout program and getting a discounted challenge bundle package which includes both a new workout of your choice and a 30 day supply of shakeology at a lower price.

And just for a little PROOF, below is a picture of a current challenger who is doing Slim in Six and Shakeology. She is eating clean and has been staying in close contact through the challenge group.

** Remember this is the last WEEK to lock in the current shakeology price before it goes up $10 next month. If you get Shakeology Home Direct you are locked in at the current price until you cancel. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THSI OFFER! www.myshakeolgy.com/marlenahedine

How to Loose the Last 10 lbs

So, you are stuck at those last 10 lbs that just won't seem to budge. They are always the TOUGHEST to get off. Trust me - I'm in that same predicament right now. BUT ... I think I could my answer and it could be your answer too ...

Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Stripped! 

Most of you know that I follow the clean eating principals in my daily life - This plan is set up to peel off those last stubborn pounds. So I downloaded the book off of amazon and am committed to following through with this and getting somer results. Lately, I just haven't been able to get on board with anything and I need something to really get me going again. So I think this is going to be it along with my Shakeology and LesMills BodyPump! It's time to BRING IT !! Summer is right around the corner. So for the next 28 days I'm following the Stripped Diet and I want to bring you right along with me. 

The bare basic Clean Eating Principals - 

Eat more FOOD! I know Odd right !! Eat 5-6 Small meals a day every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. 

Eat Breakfast EVERYDAY - No exception. Jump start your metabolism with in an hour of waking up. 

Don't eat at least 3 hours before bed. Close that Kitchen UP! 

Eat a Combo of lean protein and complex carbs at ever meal

Eat a sufficient amount of healthy fats each day (Nuts, healthy oil, avocado, seeds) 

Drink 2 -3 Liters of Water Everyday

Carry a cooler around with you everyday packed with all of your clean eats

Use Fresh Fruits and Vegetables as a source of fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes. 

Eat proper portion sizes. 

Eat foods that have not been overly processed, drowsed in chemicals, saturated fats, and toxins. 

This "diet" is meant to get rid of those last 10lbs the healthy way. Not starvations, crash diets, cleanses or harmful detoxes that leave you sitting on the toilet. UM, NO THANK YOU! You are feeding your body the nutrition and supplements it needs to loose the last 10 lbs the RIGHT WAY! 

So... What's allowed on this stripped plan? 

Vegetables allowed: Sweet & Regular Potatoes, Radishes, Carrots, Parsnips, Cucumber, Broccoli, Asparagus, Beets, Leeks, Leafy Greens, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Onions, Sprouts, Celery, Zucchini, Fennel, & Garlic. 

Fruits allowed: Bananas, Apples, Plums, Berries, Pears, Watermelon, Cherries, Oranges, Tomatoes, Limes, and Lemons. 

Protein source allowed: Egg Whites, Lean Turkey, Chicken, and Pork, Beans and Legumes (in moderation), Lean Fish, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Bison, and other game meats, Hummus (also a healthy fat), Quinoa, Protein Powder, Tofu, and Tempeh. 

Healthy Fats allowed: Flaxseed, Nuts such as almonds and walnuts (unsalted), Pumpkin seeds, nut butters, hummus (which is also a protein), Nut Butters, Avocado, Oils (Flaxseed, Sesame, Coconut, Olive, Hazelnut, Walnut, and Fish. 

Tosca also talks about having a big glass of warm lemon water every morning to give your body a natural energy boost and detox. I've been doing this for some time but have stopped and have gotten lazy about it - So time to pump it back up and get on it. 

I love that I have my Shakeology to give me that chocolate fix but be totally healthy! Shakeology is going to keep me sane during this process because I feel like i'm cheating with i get my big ol' glass of chocolate shakeology. However, of course it's equal to 5 trips to the salad bar and has more vitamins and nutrients in it then I could ever possibly give my body in one day. The perfect sweet tooth fix when you are cutting back. 

Here is an example of the a day of the stripped diet looks like : 

Need help loosing those last 10 pounds and want a meal plan created for you? You can join my next challenge and I will personally help you create a STRIPPED meal plan and find a workout program to get your booty in gear. Summer is almost here and I my friend plan on rocking my Bikini. I'll blog my journey for you all to view my progress. 

I plan to start Monday morning with the Stripped Meal Plan & keep on going with my Body Pump along with some TurboFire, Insanity, & Combat. I'm going to mix up the cardio portion.

This is a 4 week Plan and you should avoid alcohol and YES, WORKOUT!

Summer is 90 days & Summit in June!! Time to get READY .... 

Here is my Week One Menu - 

Ready to get CRAZY with Body Pump and build some LEAN MUSCLE! I got up this morning at 6am to work out and I plan on keeping this up ... IF you know me, this has been a struggle and I was so proud of myself for getting up this morning after only getting about 5 hours of sleep. Time to get to bed earlier and get my booty up!! Let's DO THIS! Join me and if you are needing some extra help and motivation with meal planning Message Me!! I would be happy to help you form a meal plan and get on track before summer hits! Together we can DO THIS!