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In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, here are 5 festive recipes to enjoy! By the way, did you know I did part of my student-teaching in Mexico back in college? I love the culture and have visited multiple areas of the beautiful country. Recipe #1: MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE 1 scoop Mom Fuel chocolate protein powder 1 cup non-dairy milk 1/8 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips 2 Tbsp Crave 1/8 tsp nutmeg ½ tsp vanilla 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp cinnamon ½ avocado 6 ice cubes Blend well and enjoy! Recipe #2: AVOCADO SALSA: 1 avocado, sliced 1/2 small red onion, sliced 2 small Roma tomatoes diced Juice from 2 limes 1-2 tbs finely chopped cilantro 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic Combine everything in a bowl and mix well, chill until ready to use. Recipe #3: CINNAMON AND LIME CHICKEN FAJITAS (4 servings) 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 tbsp ground cinnamon Salt and pepper to taste 1/8 cup avocado oil or coconut oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp chopped jalapeno peppers 1 lime, juiced 6 lettuce wraps 1.   Preheat oven to 400. 2.   Season chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Arrange in a baking dish; bake 30 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear. 3.   Cool and shred. 4.   Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté onion and garlic until tender. 5.   Mix in shredded chicken, jalapeno, and lime juice.  Cook until heated through. 6.   Serve the chicken in lettuce wraps. Recipe #4: MEXICAN SHREDDED BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS (serves 8) (3.5 hours in oven) Parchment paper ½ large onion peeled and cut into large slices ½ large red bell pepper seeded and cut into large slices 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon dried cumin ½ teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon hot sauce ½ teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce 2 ½ pounds chuck roast 1 cup low-sodium beef stock Lettuce (for wraps) (Bibb or Romaine) 1.   Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 2.   In a 9x13-inch glass baking dish or roasting pan, lay sliced onions and peppers on bottom. 3.   Mix tomato paste, all the dried spices, hot sauce and chili sauce. Smear all over beef and set beef over peppers and onions. Pour the beef stock around the sides of the beef. 4.   Cover with parchment paper and then foil, sealing tight. 5.   Roast it for three hours or until fork tender. Check after three hours and cook for another 30 minutes if not falling apart tenderly. 6.   With two forks, shred meat and mix with all liquid, cooked onions and cooked peppers. 7.   Serve in lettuce wraps. Recipe #5: FAT-LOSS FRIENDLY NACHOS: 2 large sweet potatoes 3 chicken breasts or 1 pound ground beef 2-3 red/orange/yellow bell peppers, diced 1 tsp coconut oil dash of Mrs Dash Fiesta seasoning dash garlic powder Guacamole Salsa Optional:  1 diced jalapeno Optional:  diced scallions Directions for “chips”: 1.    Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheet with foil. 2.   Slice sweet potatoes thin. 3.   Spray baking sheet, then lay sweet potatoes down, and bake until crispy (it takes a loooong time, as in hours). 4.   Remove, let cook, and place on plate. Directions for protein: 1.   In a skillet, heat oil. 2.   Cut chicken into bite site pieces and place in pan.  If using beef, put beef in pan and top with spices.  Add bell peppers. 3.   Shake spices on top of meat and peppers. 4.   Cook meat fully. Directions for putting together: 1.    Place sweet potato chips on plate. 2.   Top with chicken and peppers, guacamole, salsa, scallions, jalapenos, etc. ENJOY!

You know those nights when you slip into bed and the sheets feel soooo good? Your body is tired, your mind is calm, and you’re perfectly set up for a great night of zzz's. It’s the best! And then there are those nights you go to bed and just can’t get comfortable. Your muscles are tight from sitting all day, and your mind can’t seem to settle down. It seems to take FOREVER to fall asleep and when you finally drift off, you toss and turn all night long. Ugh. Not fun. Here’s the difference: The nights you fall asleep easily usually follow the days you did something to EARN that sleep. When you think about sleep that way, it makes it a whole lot easier to set yourself up for sleep success! If you don’t make it a point to be physically active — and/or you sit in front of a screen for most of the day — you’re making it harder for your body to get into a good sleep groove. Here’s how to earn that sleep: ●     Be active during the day. Regular exercise doesn't just boost your health, it sets the stage for deeper sleep. Hit the gym, take a brisk walk, and/or find a reason to move — your body will thank you at bedtime. ●     Train your brain. Make it a habit to do activities that give you a mental challenge. ●     Release tension. Help ease stress and work out muscle tension with sex, a bath, foam rolling, stretching, or mobility work. ●     Eat well. Give your body the right nutrition and plenty of water during the day to keep it functioning at its best. ●     Go outside. Natural light and fresh air can improve and help lock in your sleep cycle. If you’re looking at this list thinking, “But I’m too tired to do all of that!”, I can help you find the best place to start. In my upcoming challenge (which will open soon), we'll work to create a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be complicated… It just has to be consistent! Here's to getting you feeling happy, healthy, and energized!

If you’ve been scared to eat much fat because you think it’s unhealthy, it’s time to get your head around which fats are actually unhealthy. It’s true that some fats are definitely best kept to an absolute minimum but there are others that are really important for staying healthy. These good fats can play lots of roles in your body, including keeping your heart and brain healthy, boosting your immunity, balancing hormones, stabilizing your metabolism and keeping inflammation to a minimum. Stock up on these foods to make sure you get plenty of healthy fats! Fatty Fish Eating fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines two to three times per week helps you to get a good boost of omega 3 fatty acids. If you go for tuna, just be aware of the mercury content if you eat it a lot. Eggs Eggs are hugely nutritious and are great for keeping you feeling full thanks to their protein content. For years, we were told that eating eggs would raise “bad” LDL cholesterol levels but we know now that this isn’t true. It’s actually the opposite: people who eat plenty of eggs often have lower cholesterol. As an added bonus, it also helps to keep your heart healthy. Avocado Avocado is a great way to get more monounsaturated fats into your diet. These are a double whammy for heart health as they’re known to raise levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and at the same time, they also help to lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol. Healthy fats aren’t the only thing you’ll get from them though; they’re incredibly nutritious and give you a good range of vitamins and minerals. Guacamole is a delicious way to get more avocado in your life. Not a fan? You can also drizzle avocado oil on salads or even cook with it. Olive oil Olive oil is another fantastic source of the same kind of monounsaturated fats that you’ll find in avocado. Studies have shown that it can make you less likely to get heart disease or have a heart attack.  It’s a bit more expensive but extra virgin olive oil is the best bet as other types of olive oil won’t bring quite the same health benefits. Coconut Oil A lot of people don’t feel comfortable using coconut oil because of its saturated fat content but it’s actually super healthy and increases levels of “good” cholesterol. Plus, it’s packed full of antioxidants. You can use it in cooking or baking but the fairly strong taste can take some getting used to at first. Nuts and seeds The good fats found in nuts and seeds can help to lower LDL cholesterol so they’re a great choice for super healthy snacks. Stick to a small handful though - these fats may be of the good variety but you still don’t want to go overboard with them! They’re also a good source of other nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. If you don’t want to snack on them, try adding them to baking or using them in salads and smoothies. Beef Grass fed varieties are another good source of omega 3. An added bonus with meat from grass fed animals is the much lower risk of consuming hormones and antibiotics compared to their grain fed counterparts. Dark Chocolate Here is a source of healthy fat that you’re sure to love! Dark chocolate ticks two big boxes from a health perspective: antioxidants and healthy fats. You don’t want just any type of dark chocolate though - go for something with at least 70% cacao. If you can find it, 85% cacao is even better. The more cacao, the more benefits you’ll get. As always, be sure to eat a balanced diet so that you can ensure you are eating the rainbow and getting the right amount of nutrients each day. What is your fave healthy fat?