Chia Seeds...Not just for Chia Pets Anymore

The first time I heard the words "chia seeds," I thought, "hmmm, so that must be how you grow a Chia Pet." Okay, I am probably aging myself because I haven't seen one of those commercials in ages...or maybe I just dvr everything these days? Well, it turns out I was right! Chia seeds are used to create Chia Pets, but who knew all those years I spent as a kid willing my parents to buy me a little plant that would grow into the shape of a bunny that I could give haircuts, the seed that started it all has serious nutritional benefits!

It turns out, these little seeds that resemble dark brown sesame seed are ⅓ oil, ⅓ protein and ⅓ soluble fiber. That oil is broken down into omega 3 and omega 6. The chia seed also contains amino acids, antioxidants, calcium and iron. And, drum roll please, they are GLUTEN FREE! All good stuff!


When you compare a Chia seed to other seeds, like a Flax seed, the Chia seed has 10 times the concentration of oil giving it a longer shelf life and eliminating the need to grind the seed for digestion. The Chia seed also has two times the protein!


Being so oily, when you wet a Chia seed, it turns, ooh get ready...jelly-like. I know, gross. But I put mine in smoothies so I never notice it. In fact, the name comes from the Aztec word "chian," which means "oily."  The seed itself comes from the annual herb native to Mexico called Salvia hispanica...it belongs to the mint family.

You can bake with these super nutritious little seeds, put the sprouts on sandwiches (after you give your chia pet a haircut), add the seeds to drinks, sprinkle in soups or salads...it is so easy to incorporate into your diet.

If you want to try one of these protein shakes I am talking about, I use Arbonne Protein Shake powder and it has 20 grams vegan protein per shake. It comes in Vanilla and Chocolate and I have delicious recipes to share. With a 30 Days to Feeling Fit program to back it up, you will be lose weight and feel better in no time! I have done it myself. Contact me at amyw@myarbonne.com to learn more and for an upcoming contest where you can win an iPad.

Till next time...Dream big, work smart!

Introducing Nancy

The next member of the Fab Four is Nancy. Not only does Nancy look like a Disney princess, she can do anything. Seriously. She sews, crafts, refinishes furniture, household repairs, landscaping and I haven't even mentioned her outdoor sporting hobbies. Let's just say that at least one of Fab Four husbands has requested fly fishing lessons from her. As if that weren't enough, Nancy is a nurse by trade so she is also the medical expert in the group.

I stopped by Nancy's yesterday and shot this adorable photo of her. (Oh yeah, she lives right by school too so she helps us all out all the time by taking our kids when we can't get them after school...and I love stopping by to hang out and chat, she is such a great friend!).  Of course, she was helping a completely incompetent mother by adding some elastic to my daughter's Halloween costume before I embarrassed our family by breaking out the duct tape to keep Wonder Woman's boots up. (To help my case, silver duct tape did match!)

I was thrilled to see Nancy's skin changing before my eyes. The Arbonne flagship product line, RE9, is doing well by Nancy after less than a week of use. I am telling you this stuff is liquid gold!! I wish I could buy each of my friends a set for Christmas (I will someday!) because I just cannot stop talking about the benefits of RE9. It changed my skin and Mel's and Jen is glowing and now Nancy is reaping the benefits too. Sharing is good!

I am also anticipating even more Arbonne benefits for Nancy.  She was recently diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that my own mother had. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease where your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. Nancy is experience joint pain and swelling along with fatigue and many other difficult symptoms on a daily basis. Eating clean, including gluten free, has helped some with arthritis and I have my fingers crossed that these changes Nancy is implementing on the 30 Days to Feeling Fit program are going to help her manage her Lupus. I am rooting for her!!!

Till next time...Dream big, work smart!

For the Love of Coffee

Happy Monday! Okay, let's be frank...the 30 Days to Feeling Fit program does not allow caffeine. When my dear friend, Renee, introduced me to the program back in February of this year and she told me that, I poo-poo'd her right away. I have 3 kids under the age of 7 and husband that travels, I said. Caffeine is what gets me going in the morning. I have to have my 2 cups of coffee. Needless to say, Renee smiled her knowing smile and after the first week, I didn't even need my coffee as my body got "clean."
Well, this time around, I am taking "progress, not perfection" to heart and not eating quite as clean as I did last time. (And I am still seeing results, Hallelujah!) However, I am saving a lot of bucks that I used to spend at my neighborhood *bucks with this protein shake recipe which uses a combination of both chocolate and vanilla Arbonne Fit Essentials Protein Shake Powder.

Iced Mocha Protein Shake
1 scoop Vanilla Arbonne Essentials Protein Shake Mix
1 scoop Chocolate Arbonne Essentials Protein Shake Mix
1 scoop Arbonne Essentials Daily Fiber Boost (ONLY 1 scoop a day!)
1 tablespoon Organic instant coffee
Ice (depends on how icy you like it...I use 5-7 cubes)
1 cup Almond Milk
Add water to achieve desired texture
Blend!
Note: I add spinach and kale to get some extra veggies in my diet.
Pour over ice (I like this once cold!) and add a few dashes of Cinnamon...great for balancing blood sugar and makes you feel just like you are at the coffee shop!

And as always, it is gluten free, dairy free, soy free and Vegan Certified!

Enjoy! If you are interested in the 30 Days to Feeling Fit or any Arbonne products, feel free to contact me at amyw@myarbonne.com
Learn more at watson.arbonne.com
Till next time, dream big, work smart!

Pumpkin & Spice Makes Fall Feel Nice

Living in Southern California, we really do not get the extreme change in seasons that other parts of the country get but we can make it feel a little more like Fall with decorations, clothes, cranked up air conditioning and a Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake made with Arbonne Essentials Vanilla Protein Shake Powder. Are there no limits to what you can do with this powder, you ask?  NO!

Here is another recipe that I think you will love:

Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake
2 scoops Vanilla Arbonne Essentials Protein Shake Mix
1 scoop Arbonne Essentials Daily Fiber Boost (ONLY 1 scoop a day!) 
Ice (depends on how icy you like it...I use 5-6 cubes)
1 cup Almond Milk
2 large spoonfuls canned organic pumpkin
A handful of pecans or walnuts...whatever your preference
A few dashes of Pumpkin Pie Spices (Yes, you can find this in the spice aisle of your grocery store...or use nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger)

A few dashes of Cinnamon...great for balancing blood sugar!
Add water to achieve desired texture
Blend!
And HELLO FALL!
Now sit back and have one of those "coffee moments" we used to see on TV when we used to watch commercials. : )

Remember, the Arbonne protein powders come in Chocolate too and both flavors contain 20 grams of easily digestible vegan protein per serving with NO cholesterol, lactose or gluten. YAY!
They have nutrients that deliver antioxidants and help replenish energy. 20 essential vitamins and minerals help support general health. You feel full longer with NO trans fats. All good stuff and no bad.
Learn more at my website or contact me directly. I would love to help you feel better, look better and live better.

Till next time...dream big, work smart!

Introducing The Fab Four!

The 30-Day Plan

The beauty (pun intended) of the Arbonne opportunity is that it is there for everyone equally! Nothing feels better than sharing my passion for these amazing products that have changed my skin and then seeing friends that I love get excited about the opportunity too.

My team is growing and 3 of my close friends that are taking the Arbonne journey with me have decided to do the 30 Days to Feeling Fit together, me included. I am so excited for us to start seeing and feeling the changes and improvements in our bodies. (This is my second time doing 30 Days to Feeling Fit).

The Fabulous Jen!

Over the course of the 30 days, I am going to introduce you to each of The Fab Four: Jen, Nancy, Melissa & me, Amy. We are four friends and our ages span 15 years. We have 12 children between us and we are busy moms raising our kids; working in the home, out of the home, and sometimes both! We count on each other for support - emotional, child care, w(h)ine, whatever.

We're all feeling different levels of motivated about doing the 30 Days to Feeling Fit which is to be expected...we all have different reasons for doing it. Over the course of the program, we will report on our progress right here on the blog - how we are feeling and how we are progressing. On the 30 Days to Feeling Fit program, the goal is to detox, eat clean and get your body operating optimally. You can do that with Arbonne products because they are vegan certified, gluten free, dairy free...clean.  Having done this before, I know the Arbonne Fit Essentials product line makes it so easy for you because everything tastes great and there is plenty of variety so that it does not get boring.

Which brings me to the first of The Fab Four...Jen. What I love about Jen is that she truly cares about people and wants to see good things happen for everyone. She lights up a room, has a great sense of humor and knows how to make everyone feel like they matter. She is going to be so successful at the 30 Days to Feeling Fit program because she is disciplined and she wants this. This First Grade Teacher is going to school us on how it is done!

Until next time...Dream big, work smart!

If you like piña coladas

20 grams of vegan protein per serving.

How's that for an opener! I have just recently started my Arbonne business. Last night was my first Launch party and we had a blast! I wish I had taken some pics or video because we made four different shake recipes to share with our guests. (I partnered with one of my fellow Independent Consultants who is also new to the business so we could lean on each other.) This week I will share the recipes with you here.

I happen to ♥ piña coladas! This recipe brings the tropics right to my glass and I love to drink it outside in the sunshine (in fact, I am sipping one right now). For those of you experiencing some colder weather, it will take you back to summer. But beware...the fruits in this recipe are not as low on the glycemic index as the fruits recommended in 30 Days to Fit program but hey, I am all about "progress, not perfection."

Arbonne Essentials Vanilla Protein Shake mix is my FAVORITE! Don't get me wrong, the chocolate is absolutely delish too but the vanilla is my base for so many yummy recipes...so versatile!! It is VEGAN and GLUTEN FREE (yes, I am yelling...this is exciting, people!) and it fills even me up for hours. That is impressive. Seriously.

Piña Colada Protein Shake
2 scoops Vanilla Arbonne Essentials Protein Shake Mix
1 scoop Arbonne Essentials Daily Fiber Boost (ONLY 1 scoop a day!) 
Ice (depends on how icy you like it...I use 5-6 cubes)
1 cup Almond Milk
1 Banana
1 cup fresh pineapple (or organic canned in its own juice)
1 large spoonful shaved coconut
1 handful spinach
1 handful kale (You cannot even taste the spinach and kale...the way it should be!)
Add water to achieve desired texture
Blend!

Disclaimer: All measurements are approximate. I actually don't measure anything except the Protein Shake Mix and the Daily Fiber Boost. Taste before you serve and adjust as needed.☺

Till next time...dream big, work smart.