Post Thanksgiving REFRESH Invitation

TURKEY DAY IS COMING!! ⏳

You know when you enjoy ALL that DELICIOUS food that you don't normally eat? Its totally worth it, right? Its SO YUMMY!! But then... a day or so later - you feel like you can't breathe & your pants are snug! AH!! 

I am excited to eat YUMMY food with my family, but I am also determined to not GO NUTS and UN-DO all of my hardwork.... 

If you're like me, you could really benefit from a healthy 3 day cleanse after the feast! 

I want to invite 10 of you to complete a 3 Day REFRESH Cleanse after Thanksgiving!!

It's pretty amazing, because when you're done with this REFRESH plan - you'll feel like you never indulged in all that heavy food!! 

Last time I did this PLANT-BASED cleanse, I lost almost 4lbs and my hubby lost about 5lbs! ... and we actually ate quite a bit!!

3 Days. Detox. Refresh. & Reboot after Thanksgiving. 

No crazy juice cleanse that will destroy your organs or starve your body. 

Plant based meals. 

VERY gentle fiber sweep that isn't going to make you run to the bathroom. 

Moderate exercise is okay too. 

Message me on FB (LindseyKollarGhoens) OR email me (lindseykollar@yahoo.com) if you want one of the 10 spots! 

Fall Refresh Results

How the heck did I forget to share my Fall Refresh Results from a month or so ago??? Oh yeah, because life is crazy 😉

I decided to do this 3 day, vegan, plant based cleanse to jump start my routine again after weeks and weeks of inconsistent nutrition and activity because of our move. I owed it to myself to boost my metabolism, clean out my insides and lose that bloat... to FEEL better!

I'm not a fan of juice cleanses.. or starvation for that matter (HA). First of all, I appreciate being able to chew something each day.. something about ingesting solid foods, right?? Also, I have no need for all that sugar from juicing! This program, called the 3 Day Refresh, is the perfect combination of plant proteins and chewable-produce for me❤️

My sweet hubby decided to support me by following the same program and I think he was pretty impressed by how easy it was and how he didn't few starved day in and day out. 

The refresh is something I do on a quarterly to six month basis. We service our homes and vehicles so why not do a little tune up every now and again for your digestive system? Oh, and feel awesome afterwards! #nobrainer

Aside from occasional maintenance, the refresh was perfect for me even after I recovered from hernia surgery this spring and wanted to flush all the meds out of my system. You see? It's an awesome option for many different scenarios depending on what YOU have going on in your life!

So here it is.. My results from 3 days of potato protein shakes, fiber boosts and  produce.

👇 down 4.5", 3.5 lbs. & BLOAT

👆 up energy level, mental clarity and pep in step level... Oh and healthy poops. I went there 🙈

Think you could benefit from a good REFRESH after that Thanksgiving meal you have planned? I think so too! Drop your email below for information or find me on FB and reach out!

The Amateur Baker's Artisan Bread

I ENJOY cooking. I LOVE finding new recipes to try on pinterest [follow me HERE]. I love bumping into my honey in the kitchen and being goofy while we food prep or cook together. Despite all of these statements, I am an AMATEUR when it comes to baking. This reason is two fold: 1)Baking requires exact measurements in the beginning- I am and "eye baller" and timer-by-memory type person 2)Baking is WAY too scientific..  I mean, baking soda and baking powder aren't the same thing? That's just ASKING for a recipe mess-up.

So now you know how I feel about basically all pastries. Let me share with you a recipe I can ACTUALLY handle though. I'm sure all of my other no bake wonders will be happy to have this.

I got this recipe for Artisan Bread from my friend Sarah at a recently girls only wine tasting evening. This gal is a NATURAL hostess and thought of EVERYTHING.. from recipe cards to ramekins for take home seasonings to bake our bread later, she was prepared to pass on her skills.

[got the recipe this night!]

I had NO idea that this bread recipe was so versatile! It is a beautiful (& delicious) blank canvas that allows you to be a little creative.. you pick. Maybe you want to mix minced apples into the bread dough and sprinkle with cinnamon. Or maybe you want to infuse the bread dough with garlic and sprinkle rosemary on top! The list goes ON and ON.

Without further adieu, here is Miss Sarah's recipe:

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1 tablespoon kosher salt

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 cup 10 grain cereal

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

Directions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine water, salt and yeast. Let the mixture sit a few minutes until it looks "creamy.." although, there will probably be some clumps.

2) Stir in the cereal, whole wheat flour, and unbleached white four. * Mix the ingredients together until the dough is wet and sticky. Do not over mix or knead.

3) Loosely cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 2 hours.

4) Bake at 450 with a pan filled with water below.

~For Ciabatta: Do NOT refrigerate the dough. Form a flat round loaf 1" high and let rise for 40 minutes.  Them brush with water** and bake on a tray lined with parchment paper for 15-25 minutes.

~For normal loaves: refrigerate  for at least 2 hours {dough will keep TWO weeks in the fridge). Delicately shape into a loaf (recommended size is a grapefruit). Let rise for 40 minutes. Rush with water**, slice top 1/2" deep with wet knife and bake on a try lined with parchment paper (I used my pampered cheft stone!!!). Bake 30 minutes for larger loaves; 15 minutes for smaller ones.

*Mix in extra ingredients at this point (herbs, friend fruit, etc).

** Sprinkle desired seasonings now (hers, pumping seeds, etc).

FYI this dough keeps for up to TWO weeks in the fridge:: I baked 4 mini loves tonight after it saw in my fridge for 9 days!!!

Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes-- happy baking!

XO, linz

3 Day Refresh: RESULTS

Life happens.. We aren't perfect.. Sometimes it's nice to start fresh. 

I decided to do this for my body last week and am SO glad I did.

During the course of three days, I used a program called the '3 Day Refresh' which is a plant-based cleanse consisting of multiple shakes and a 'produce plan'. I didn't starve myself, I even got to eat food a few times EACH day. By boosting my fiber & intaking plenty of protein during this low calorie cleanse, I boosted my metabolism and detoxified my body.. Losing weight & inches during the process.

Coming from some one who has NEVER done any sort of cleanse before, I can tell you that it is worth it and entirely do-able.

You're welcome, body!

[to read more about WHAT the 3 Day Refresh is and if YOU could benefit from it, check out this post.]

Refresh: Day THREE!!

I made it- HALLELUJAH!

I'll tell you what, in three short days I'm feeling pretty darn fabulous. I've truly enjoyed doing this refresh program, but am grateful that it was only three days long, given that this is my first ever cleanse. I can't wait to share with you my results!

Let me walk you through the highlights of my final day.

One of my favorite parts of this program is the requirement of herbal tea throughout the day. I personally am a hot tea lover, so implementing this was no issue for me; I don't, however, make time to drink this on a daily basis. I realize now that I definitely should!

I got a late start on my Saturday, but decided to stay on track with my cleanse.. even if it meant morning tea at 1:30!

Until Saturday afternoon, I had spent nearly the first 36 hours of my cleanse at home- partially because I work from home at the end of the week & also because it was COLD out and I didn't plan to change our of my PJs/slippers.

Despite being out and about, I planned my timeline for the day, packed what I needed to and hit the road. I decided to grace the nail salon for a shellac and Target for a 60 minute "stroll..." I like to think that my hobbies help the economy!

(I felt obligated to share this)

I didn't get a shot of my lunch this day, because I INHALED it as soon as I got home from my errands. My meal consisted of fresh blueberries [YUM], cucumber & hummus with my vanilla fresh shake.

I took my shake on the go while I ran out to take my love muffins for some exercise.

My FINAL refresh meal was another vanilla fresh shake (with lemon) and a veggie steam-fry: broccoli, asparagus, and red pepper cooked in olive oil and water sprinkled with some red pepper flakes! De.Lish.

 I definitely plan to do the refresh again! I feel that it would be something great to do for my body once per quarter. Nothing like a fresh start!

Results tomorrow <3 p="">

Refresh: Day Deux

Today marked day TWO of my cleanse using the 3 Day Refresh. I won't lie and say that it's easy peasy, but I WILL say that it is TOTALLY doable and is the perfect length of time for success.

...we can do anything for 3 days, right? 

Today, I decided to utilize the free flavorings more!

Here is a recap of my day:

Breakfast, meal one, consisted of my chocolate shakeology and kiwi.

Breakfast was followed by my hot earl gray, which I enjoyed snuggled up with a warm blanket and devotional, and a fiber sweep shake.

Lunch, meal two, consisted of a vanilla fresh shake (with cinnamon and nutmeg), green grapes (with lemon juice and cinnamon), & cucumber (half with hummus and half with red wine vinegar).

For my third meal, afternoon snack, I had red peppers with hummus that I had sprinkled cayenne pepper on top of!

My fourth and final meal, dinner, was comprised of veggie steam-fry (green beans, carrots, broccoli, olive oil, sea salt and red pepper flakes) with a vanilla fresh shake (added lemon juice- OMG!).

Okay, so you can see here that I added seasoning to almost every meal.. it made a difference in how I enjoyed my food! I made reference to my tip for the vanilla fresh shakes on my Facebook earlier: JALoC.. just add lemon or cinnamon :) What a DIFFERENCE though!

Observations from day two: I feel lighter on my toes.. no bloating.. slight mental fatigue.. do your thing, refresh!

Refresh: Day ONE

Before I get into the deets, I'd like to fill you in on what I did before: reviewed program in full, decided to take 3 days off from exercise (to allow my body to use the ingested calories to cleanse my system, rather than using them to rebuild muscles), selected the foods I would eat in advance, made grocery trip & prepped my produce (wash, chop, store).

So I woke up today totally JAZZED to start my refresh-- I think being mentally prepared is important. I started out by coming straight downstairs and drinking a full glass of ice water. Then, I had my first meal within an hour of waking up. My breakfast consisted of Chocolate Shakeology mixed with water (only) and kiwi, which was an approved fruit serving.

About 1.5 hours after my breakfast, it was time for a hot mug of herbal tea: you pick which one you like most.. but go with decaf and don't add sugar.

water.

water.

water.

Another hour later, post tea, I had my fiber sweep that was simply shaken into about 6 ounces of water. Cheers!

By the time lunch rolled around, I was READY to chew on something. At this point, I wasn't starving, but definitely had the munchies. Meal two:  red peppers, hummus and grapes + vanilla fresh shake in ice water.

 ..surprisingly satisfying!

After more water and about 2 hours, I was allowed another mug of herbal tea with a snack (meal 3).

(1 veggie + 1 healthy fat)

No time to get hungry through out the afternoon with the perfectly timed snack!

I waited probably 30 minutes too long for dinner and INHALED my food. My dinner, 4th meal, consisted of sautéed asparagus and almonds with olive oil and lemon juice. I also got to drink another vanilla fresh shake- this time I blended it with a little ice, water, cinnamon and lemon juice! DELISH..

I'm sitting upstairs now in my office with a slight taste for a snack, but I'm not starving.. dragging.. or "hangry" (a term coined by Nate after seeing his wife in a state of angry fueled by hunger.. HA).

I could probably go have another glass of water or some hot tea, but I think bed is calling my name.

Day One: success!

Reboot and Rejuv: 3 Day Cleanse

Although I make the [extremely healthy] choice to drink Shakeology every day, my diet is NOT perfect. I have cheat meals, ingest chocolate on a semi-regular basis and don't cook or eat strictly organic foods.

I also am at a place with my fitness where I do NOT want to plateau. Sometimes, that requires switching things up a bit and surprising the body with a curve ball. 

Because of these facts, I thought I'd do a cleanse. And because of the amazing result photos and stories, I decided to use Beachbody's 3 Day Refresh: 3 days. Plant Based Shakes. Food Included. No Starving. Real Results.. this seemed doable.

My goals: reboot, refuel & rejuvenate.

I remember all of the questions I had when researching this program and how much I appreciated reading about the experience of others. That being said, I will be sure to document my process for anyone that might be interested in trying the refresh in the future.

Okay, so let me educate you on this system. Then, check back here daily for my progress!

What is the Refresh:

"The 3-Day Refresh is a scientifically designed program that helps you fast-track your weight loss, kick-start healthy eating, and get a clean break from bad nutrition habits. 3-Day Refresh is a simple, straightforward program that will help cleanse your body and improve the way you feel— without starving yourself. Unlike juice cleanses or liquid fasts which tend to be high in sugar and low in protein (leaving you feeling weak, hungry, and sluggish), this easy-to-follow program helps support your metabolism while nourishing your vital organs.

For 3 days you’ll follow a program of 3 shakes a day, a fiber drink, plenty of filtered water, plus a wide array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats throughout the day to keep your energy and metabolism going. "

Who is it for?

"Maybe you feasted like a king or queen over the weekend, and want get back on track. Perhaps you simply just want to lose that last bit of annoying pudge. Maybe you used to eat healthy but little by little you fell off the wagon and now are ready to climb back on. It’s also possible you’ve never had a healthy diet but you’re finally ready to start. Sometimes you want to quickly drop a few pounds for an upcoming social event. Or perhaps you’re kick-starting a new workout program and want to shift into high gear right away. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re ready for a few days of clean eating just because it’s the right thing to do.

Whatever your “maybe” may be, we all have those times when we want to get our nutrition on track—and that’s what the 3-Day Refresh is all about. This program is the easiest way to break the cycle of bad eating habits while creating new ones, conquer your cravings, flatten your stomach, feel lighter and more energized, sleep more soundly, detoxify your body, and dramatically improve the way you feel—ALL WITHOUT STARVING!** "

When is the best time to start?

"You can use it anytime you need to lose a few pounds quickly. Or kick-start a cleaner diet. Maybe after a long weekend of eating everything in sight. When you want your clothes to fit a little looser. Before, during, or after a workout regimen. You may choose to do it once a month to keep your habits sharp and your body healthy. You can pretty much do the 3-Day Refresh whenever you feel like recharging. "

How does it work?

"For 3 days you’ll have a superfood-packed Shakeology® shake for breakfast along with a fruit option; a Fiber Sweep digestive health drink later in

the morning; a satisfying, high-protein Vanilla Fresh shake for lunch, accompanied by fresh fruit, vegetables, and healthy fat options throughout the afternoon. For dinner, you’ll have another Vanilla Fresh shake along with your choice from a list of delicious, easy-to-prepare dinner recipes. You can also have tea twice a day and as much filtered water as you like (we suggest you drink AT LEAST half your body weight in ounces per day). "

Why THIS over the other options out there?

"Juice cleanses and other popular short-term cleanses provide incomplete nutrition promoting muscle loss instead of fat loss and can cause a rebound due to the lack of adequate protein, low fiber, and/or high sugar levels. Many juice cleanses range from $50–$70 per day, while this

3-day program is only $23 per day for the Complete Kit. It offers a superior nutritional solution and also will serve as a great door opener for purchases of Shakeology and/or the Ultimate Reset®." 

What to expect?

"The 3-Day Refresh is a low-calorie program (about 900 calories a day) but because the shakes and fresh food selections are high in protein and fiber, they will help keep you satiated throughout the day.

Because this program is packed with fiber, if you don’t already have a diet that’s high in fruits, veggies, and whole grains, it’s a good idea to prepare for the 3-Day Refresh by eating a large salad and/or a few servings of fresh veggies throughout the week leading up to it.

If you get a little gas or bloating, this is a sign that you need to up your fiber levels in general. Fiber promotes satiety, balances blood sugar, promotes cardiovascular health, and keeps your digestive tract functioning. If gas is an issue, we’ve highlighted the “low gas-producing” options in the veggie list and dinner recipes in the menu guide.

It’s also incredibly important to stay hydrated during the 3-Day Refresh. Water is the body’s lubricant and is required for every major process.

It keeps your digestion flowing, flushes out toxins, keeps your system balanced, and helps control hunger.

We recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces every day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of filtered water every day."

Ready.Set.GO!