What diet am I on?

"What Diet am I on?" - I have been getting quite a few private messages about my "Diet" and is it liquid? What Diet is it? In a nutshell, it is NOT a diet. I eat whole foods, nothing processed, no refined sugars or starches. The way God intended these foods to be eaten and before man found a way to mess it all up for "convenience sake." I exercise 5 days a week (because I love it and those of you who have known me for many years know how HUGE that statement is!) I eat when I am hungry. I am NOT a vegetarian but I do eat a predominately Vegan and Gluten free diet, maybe 80/20. I eat quality Chicken -rarely, eggs, salmon and nuts and seeds for my protein. I have the most amazing motivational people to encourage me on a daily basis. ProForm, Kristie Belliston Ryan Belliston The Belly Fit Club, and the K-Crew have all changed my life. I am NOT perfect when it comes to any of this. I cheat. I stumble. I stray. Yet I get back up and try to be better today than I was yesterday. The results are what pushes me to move toward putting only healthy things in my body. I want to live a healthy life. I want to spend my retirement doing what I want not giving all my money to doctors. I drink Green Juice daily. It's my addiction, it makes me feel alive and full of energy. my skin, hair and eyes are transforming and I give this drink a lot of the credit! It doesn't matter if you follow a "Plan" or make mistakes. Just make better choices. Look in your garbage can.. what's in it, peels from produce or boxes from processed foods. I am not a radical in any part of my life. I just try to live by example and I look to and am drawn to those that do the same. I am beyond blessed to have such amazing and supportive family and friends and most importantly my soulmate William Emmetts and my inspirational son Tyler Emmetts who have both held me accountable on my journey. I am just getting started and I don't plan on "stopping my diet" because it is just a way of life now. Thank you all for being so kind to me and so complimentary, but the best thing in the world you can do, is to start. Make a better choice today...then tomorrow. It's not a race. Thank you for reading my long post  Here's to health! BTW- The Belly Fit Club has it all spelled out if you do want one place to find all the info. 


More great stories can be found here. http://thebellyfitclub.blogspot.com/p/testimonials.html

Bellyfit Banana Bread

Who says eating healthy has to be boring and BLAH!  Well, if you are one of those people, you haven't tried this yet! 

Eating healthy never tasted so good! 

Bellyfit Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3/4 teaspoon of baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup of almond flour

1/4 cup of coconut flour

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

2 large eggs

2 very ripe medium to large bananas, mashed

1/4 cup of maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 5 loaf pan by either oiling the dish or lining with parchment paper. (I’m a big fan of the parchment paper for easy removal from pan and easy clean up.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flours. In a separate small bowl, mix together coconut oil, eggs, bananas, maple syrup and vanilla until very well combined.

Add wet ingredients to the dry and gently mix together until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15-20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sinless Eggnog that taste Sinful!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......MAZING! This just happened!  The littles were asking for Eggnog last night and OF COURSE I didn't have any in the house so I started looking online for some healthy recipes and what did I find?  Believe it or not....NOTHING! Not one healthy Eggnog recipe I would consider Bellyfit.  So I decided to create my own and to my surprise.....SCORE!!! It's absolutely delicious and the kids LOVE it too (double SCORE).  Cheers! :)

Bellyfit Eggnog

Ingredients

4 Eggs

1/2 cup of coconut sugar or 2 squirts stevia

3 cups Pacific Brand Hemp Milk

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of himalayan sea salt

1 cup organic coconut milk

1-2 oz bourbon, cognac, or brandy, to taste (optional) 

1.2 oz. rum, to taste (optional)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. In a large bowl, or in the Vitamix on the lowest setting, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan over low/medium heat, combine the hemp milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.  Heat until steaming, stirring occasionally.  Do not it boil! 

3. Slowly temper the egg with the hot milk mixture over the egg yolks.  To do this, carefully pour the hot milk mixture over the egg mixture while whisking continuously to keep the eggs from scrambling.  Once mixed return the mixture to the saucepan.

4.Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching. Do not let it boil!

5. Remove from the heat and and stir in coconut milk, vanilla extract, and liquors (if using).  

6. Chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, or overnight, before serving.   Stir well and serve. :) 

Prepare yourself for something creamy and dreamy! 

The perfect Home Gym!

As a trainer to hundreds, the thing I see the most from my 'at home' clients is not having the right equipment to give them the results they are looking for. 

Here are the basics needed at home that will allow you to accomplish your fitness goals to sculpt your body perfectly. 

1. A high quality cardio piece of equipment.  ProForm www.proform.com or www.hsn.com (click on the video to see more) makes affordable yet high quality products that fold up and roll away saving space in your home easy.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a treadmill....an Elliptical, a bike, or a jump rope, are all great options to burn fat and get you in the best shape of your life. 

2. Balance Ball. Use either the curved or flat side of this multifunctional core training device to integrate balance into every aspect of fitness, sports performance, or rehabilitation, This is a great way to add versatility and challenge to an incredible range of activities: cardio, strength training, athletic and sport conditioning, core training, and mind/body workouts.  Variety is the spice of fitness and combined it with other equipment, this adds new, exciting elements to existing training regimens. 

3. Kettlebells. "Twice the workout in half the time". Who wouldn't want that! :) Kettlebells offer a wide range of full body exercises to help blast calories and get you in great shape from head to toe. Read more about the awesomeness of kettlebells here http://www.weiderfitness.com/wcsstore/Weider/Attachment/Kettlebells012010.pdf

4. WEIGHTS!!!! I can't stress enough the importance of strength training! If we want a fit looking, tight body, we MUST hit the weights.  I promise you will not get big or bulky.  The results of lifting weights is that of a beautiful, sexy, lean, toned, body. Focus on lifting heavy to add shape and keeps your reps at 10-15 reps per exercise.  You can find great strength training programs for women at www.thebellyfitclub.com.  This set is the bomb! The 50 lb. SpeedWeight Dumbbell Set is the ultimate in weight training convenience! You'll never have to buy another set of weights again! With a fast and easy adjustment, you can quickly select the perfect weight for each exercise.  Look at the space you'll save as well.  Everything is perfectly placed and fits great in a small space. 

5. A good Mat. Developed by yogis, Hugger Mugger offers a wide range of great yoga mats to fit any body. It's important to stretch after each workout to help prenvent injury and to increase flexibilty and range of motion.  When we are flexibile we are able to preform better and therefore we will see better results with other activities enhancing our performance daily. 

6. Workout Bands. Bands are great to take with you when traveling or on the go.  With this new innovative band called The Xfinity Band, now all you need is one great band offering you different resistant levels for strength training, yoga, and can also give you a great cardiovascular workout. 

7. A Stability Ball. Stability balls come in different sizes and you will want to purchase the best fit for your body height. 
4'11" to 5'4" height: 55 cm ball
5'4" to 5'11" height: 65 cm ball
5'11" to 6' 7" height: 75 cm ball

Core strength is the most important thing we need to develop before moving on to other phases of training. 

This exercise ball is great to replace a bench to strengthen your core, tone your upper and lower body, and improve your performance.

And there you have it! 7 of my favorites to have at home to train properly.  

by Kristie Belliston

NASM CPT 

WFS by NASM

www.thebellyfitclub.com 

A 500 Calorie Thanksgiving

A Bellyfit Thanksgiving:

Herb Roasted Turkey, 3 oz white meat-140 calories

Apple Cider Gravy, 2T-15 calories

Brown Rice Stuffing, ½ cup- 78 calories

Roasted Root Vegetables, ½ cup-82 calories

Steamed Green Beans, ½ cup-15 calories

Roasted Squash Soup, 1cup-128 calories

Total: 500 calories

********************************************************************************

Compared to a Traditional Meal...

Herb Roasted Turkey, 3 oz white meat-140 calories

Gravy, 2T-50 calories

Stuffing, ½ cup- 180 calories

Mashed Potatoes, ½ cup-220 calories

Green Bean Casserole, ½ cup-120 calories

Cream-Based Soup, 1cup-250 calories

Total: 1,015 calories

ATTN: TBFC members, be sure to log into the website www.thebellyfitclub.com first.  All of the links will take you directly to each recipe. 

Our Recipes Below:

Apple Cider Gravy For recipe go to www.thebellyfitclub.com

Brown Rice Cranberry Apple Stuffing 
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter 
1 medium green apple or pear, diced (about 1 cup) 
2 stalks diced celery (about 2/3 cup) 
1 clove garlic, minced Dried or fresh thyme Dried sage 
1 Cup brown rice 
1 cup hot cooked wild rice 
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries 
1/4 cup sliced green onions (green tops only) 
Salt and black pepper to taste (optional) 

PREPARATION: 
1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large saucepan. 
Add apple, celery and garlic. 
Cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened. 
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in thyme and sage. 
Cook briefly and stir in white and wild rice, orange juice and cranberries; cook 1 minute until heated through. 
Just before serving, stir in green onions and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serving Suggestion Serve this stuffing in baked squash halves or alongside roast turkey or chicken.

Roasted Root Vegetables For recipe go to www.thebellyfitclub.com

Steamed Green Beans www.thebellyfitclub.com

Roasted Squash Soup for recipe go to www.thebellyfitclub.com

Ryans Famous Turkey

Kristie's "SWEET" Sweet Yams

5-6 large yams

1/2 cup Organic Grade B Maple Syrup

2 TBS Butter

2 TBS Lemon Juice

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Wrap Yams in tin foil and cook until soft. Let cool.

Peel and cut yams into chunks and place in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish.

Combine remaining ingredients in a glass bowl and whisk together. 

Pour the mixture over the yams.

Toss to coat.

Cover with foil and cook for 20-minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving  from TBFC! 

Jumpstart in 28 days! A program designed to help you look and feel your best at any age....

Stay Slim for the Holidays by joining our 28-day Jumpstart Challenge.

First, take a before picture of yourself today!

This picture is essential.  Not sure how?  See below.

Make sure it's a full body shot, front, back, and side.  Please, wear what you feel comfortable in These are examples only but the more you are able to show, the easier it will be to see your amazing results. 

The before pictures are the top photo's and the after pictures are shown on the bottom.

Second, measure your waist.  

The scale is not the most accurate way to measure body fat loss.  Our waist will tell us if we are losing inches/fat, which is what we want to lose right? I suggest you stay off the scale for the next 28 days and focus on your waist measurement instead.  

And last, follow this daily routine for the next 28-days.  

The morning juice can be swapped out for other Jumpstart approved juices found at www.thebellyfitclub.com/juices. :) 

You will find all of the Jumpstart approved meals marked with a "JAM" at www.thebellyfitclub.com/nutrition

At the end of each day you will check in on the private TBFC page on Facebook.  If you do not have Facebook, please email me at thebellyfitclub@live.com

The first 4-5 days are tough because your body will go through sugar withdrawals.  Remember, any addictive habit is tough to break!   Hang in there because soon your cravings for processed junk food and sugar will disappear to the point that you will no longer desire them as you once did.  The FEELING this program brings is what makes it so popular.  Your energy levels with sore and remain high all day without any low blood sugar crashes.  Fat will melt off your body like butter and you will begin to feel so much lighter each day.   

I will post tips to help motivated you and will be there by your side to answer questions daily on the TBFC private page on Facebook.  Also, daily exercise challenges will be posted here http://thebellyfitclub.blogspot.com/p/bellyfit-fitness.html so check in each day. :) 

YOU.  CAN.  DO.  THIS!!!

Day one starts tomorrow, November 25th. It's time to JUMPSTART our life by looking and feeling our best at any age. 

To your health, Ryan and Kristie Belliston

Winner of The Radiant Challenge 2013

First, congratulations to everyone who participated in this years Radiant challenge!  Everyone did fantastic! 

Our 2013 Winner is.....

LORI STINE!!!!

Before

After

After

I definitely learned a lot from participating in the 21 Day Radiant Challenge.

As far as the exercise challenges: I found out that once I stepped out of my comfort zone & challenged myself I was able to accomplish more that I thought I could.  I now will continue to challenge myself everyday to do a little bit better than the day before. Its rewarding mentally.

Nutritional Challenges: Through this challenge I learned that it is necessary to slow down & pay attention to what I eat and why.  When I paid attention I found that I ate until I was satisfied not until the plate was clean.

Life Transformation Challenge: By searching my inner self I learned that nothing won't change until I change it.  I am the only one who can make me happy on the inside.  Once that is accomplished I will be able to let someone in to share my life with.

The end result for me now that this Challenge is over is to make this the way of living life not just a challenge to get through. I want to be the healthiest, strongest person that I can become.

Lori has won a free 1 year membership to The Belly Fit Club, 2 Belly Buster Jars, and a TBFC T-Shirt of her choice. 

Congratulations Lori!  LIVE RADIANT, BE RADIANT!!!!!!!!

Love you,

Kristie Belliston

Cheesecake anyone?

Raw Cheesecake:
Ingredients:
 2 cups raw cashews – soaked 6 to 12 hours
1-2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Celtic sea salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Juice of 1 lemon
Sweetener of your choice (We use 1 tbsp honey but 2 pitted medjool dates would work well too)

Directions:
 Blend in Vitamix / blender until completely smooth Add a little water slowly until desired consistency. Can also be done with cashews that have not been soaked. In this case, blend cashews into powder first in Vitamix, Nutri-bullet, or coffee grinder. Place in refrigerator or freeze. 

Tomato, Spinach, and Garlic Juice

Keep the pounds off this holiday season without dieting. How?  By doing this one simple thing.  Drink this juice before breakfast, lunch, and dinner and watch the pounds melt off.  How? Condensed nutrition like this helps to suppress the appetite so you eat less. try it! It really works. 

One serving of one cup of this tomato, spinach,  garlic juice will give you just over 100 calories and almost 24 grams of carbohydrates. You will also be getting over 1,000 milligrams of your daily potassium and 4 grams of protein.

In terms of vitamins, you are getting 9% of your daily vitamin E, 21% of your daily vitamin B-6, 61% of your daily vitamin A, as well as almost 160% of your daily vitamin C.

In terms of minerals, you are getting quite a few in this juice. Some minerals include: 3% of your daily calcium, 12% of your daily iron, 18% of your daily copper, as well as 18% of your daily folate.

Recipe:

5 handfuls spinach

1 clove garlic

8 tomatoes

This is great to have right before dinner. :)

For more juice recipes go to www.thebellyfitclub.com 

Day 21 of the Radiant Challenge {LAST DAY}!

DONE! Welcome to the last day of the Radiant Challenge! If you've made it this far, no matter how many challenges you've completed, you deserve a party, a parade and a million dollars. I can't give you any of those, but I can give you my congratulations and my admiration for your perseverance.

Living healthy takes hard work, as you've found, and you aren't always 100% perfect. However, my definition of success isn't someone who's perfect, but someone who keeps going no matter what. As we end this challenge, that's what I'd like to leave you with: The idea that there is no such thing as being perfect all the time, but that putting some kind of effort into your health (even if you can only muster the smallest bit) every day is what it's all about. I hope this challenge brought that home to you and helped you learn a little more about yourself.

Today's challenges are very simple. First, you'll reflect on your experience and then you'll celebrate any way you choose.

If you enjoyed this challenge or you have some suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at thebellyfitclub@live.com. Thanks for participating and great job

Your Active Challenge

Take at least 30 minutes today to reflect on what you've accomplished and how you felt.

Write in your journal about your experience with this challenge. Some questions to get you started:

·         How difficult was it to follow the challenges each day?

·         Which were the hardest challenges? Did the nutrition challenges trip you up or were the exercise challenges more difficult?

·         What area did you excel at?

·         How did it feel to go 21 days without focusing on weight loss? Did it change your perspective at all?

·         What did you learn about yourself from this experience?

·         What changes will you make more permanent in your life?

·         Was there a point where you wanted to give up? Did you give up or did you find a way to keep going?

 Your Fitness Challenge

Celebrate your success!

Whether you celebrate today or plan a future reward for yourself, make sure you take some time today to revel in your success. It's a very big deal to make it through such a difficult challenge and you deserve something great, whether it's a night out or a trip somewhere tropical. Some ideas for you to chew on:

·         Get a massage

·         Plan a vacation

·         Buy a new exercise outfit

·         Update your home gym with new equipment

·         Go out to dinner

·         Have dessert

·         Hire that personal trainer or dietician you've been thinking about.  Hey, why not me!  www.thebellyfitclub.com

There are no other challenges for you today, but one option is to take time to go back through everything you've collected in the last 21-days: Your journal, and any other notes you kept. As you look through all you've done, think about how far you've come. Really notice where you started out and where you are now and give yourself credit for any changes, no matter how small, you've made.

Now, you may be wondering where to go from here. I'm working on a sequel to this challenge yet, for now, there are some options for you to continue on with your healthy lifestyle:

Be sure to sign up and join us for our next challenge beginning on Monday, November 25th titled "Stay Slim 4 the holidays".  Its going to be a good one and you don't want to miss it. :) 

Your Nutrition Challenge-

DONE!

Your Mind/Body Challenge-

DONE!

 Your Life Transformation Challenge-

No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Great Job and Best of Health,

 Kristie