Easy, healthy zucchini soup that can be served hot or cold!

I absolutely LOVE this recipe and it is one of the easiest recipes to make, which means it’s right up my alley!! I originally learned this recipe when I was doing Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset program (a 21 day food and supplement program to help you detox your body and restore it to optimal health). The Ultimate Reset program is absolutely awesome and more info about it can be found here: https://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/URComplete?referringRepId=183908).

I have used this soup recipe (and many others of the awesome recipes that come with this program!) ever since!!

The soup is vegan, gluten-free, and can be served hot or cold so it’s a perfect healthy meal for a cold winter day or a summer evening! Additionally, this recipe only takes about 5 minutes of actual labor time- how great is that?!

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized zucchini

¾ cup cashews

Himalayan sea salt

Basil (fresh or dried)

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy-sauce substitute)- I’ll give alternatives down below if you don’t have this

Directions:

Cut up zucchini into chunks and steam until semi-soft (length of time for steaming will depend on size of chunks).

While the zucchini is steaming, soak the cashews in water to soften. Drain after about 10 minutes.

Throw the steamed zucchini and cashews into a blender. I think a Vitamix is the absolute best if you plan on making a lot of soups, especially with its variable speeds and tamper tool to help push/mix thicker concoctions. Here is the one I use: http://amzn.to/2lhHfb0 (disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product). I’ve had this for years and it has never failed me- I always joke that it has the motor of a lawn mower haha- it’s a beast! For this particular soup though, since the zucchini is steamed and the cashews are soaked, everything should be soft enough that you shouldn’t have a problem using a regular blender.

Add Himalayan sea salt, basil, and liquid aminos to taste!

I’m gluten-free so that’s why I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. The liquid aminos can be found on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2jqWfpj. Full disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product but this is honestly what I use at home and they can be hard to find at grocery stores.

I go pretty heavy on these seasonings :)

Blend all of that together and enjoy! The recipe makes 3-4 servings.

Happy cooking!

Katelyn

I would be honored to help you with your health and fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Easy, healthy spring rolls recipe and demo!

I was SO proud of myself when I made spring rolls the other day!!! I had always assumed they’d be messy or would fall apart, but when my friend, Lindsay, decided to have an Asian-inspired dinner party, I thought I would give them a try! Turns out, they were incredibly easy and they are a tasty way to get more veggies into your meals or party appetizers!

I give a full video demonstration here (and to prove how easy it was to make the rice paper rolls, I had to do it with one hand in order to film it!): https://youtu.be/97wWg5kH7BQ

The rolls were super simple to make. Fillings are totally up to you and your tastes. I made these rolls twice and each time I used some kind of combo of romaine lettuce, shrimp (I gave my recipe for shrimp with a little extra kick in the video!), thin rice noodles, avocado, red pepper, carrots, cucumber (all the veggies I either cut into thin strips or spiralized), mint (I loved the flavor that the fresh mint added so I used even more the 2nd time around!), and sesame seeds. The video explains all about the rice paper, what to look for when buying it, and how to prepare it for rolling!

The homemade peanut sauce absolutely MADE these rolls! They were good without it, but it added so much extra flavor, plus I liked having something “liquidy” on them. I apologize for not being the kind of cook who measures everything perfectly. With my background in the sciences, I do love things that are exact but unfortunately my cooking tends to be very free-spirited. I used multiple recipes online to come up with this concoction (so if you are someone who likes things exact, google a homemade peanut sauce recipe). I included a picture of what I used in the peanut sauce here since it was a little hard to see in the video. The main ingredients were basically peanut butter and soy sauce (I used liquid aminos- a healthier, gluten-free alternative to soy sauce- available from amazon associate link here- disclosure: I get a small commission if someone purchases from this link). Mash some peanut butter with some soy sauce (I used a hefty amount of each- more soy sauce will make it spicier, more PB will make it sweeter). Everything else I used to taste. I really liked the addition of the sesame oil- I felt like that gave it a good Asian flavor. The honey sweetened it up a little. I added some rice vinegar (I like what that did to the texture). Black pepper, hot sauce, garlic powder, actual garlic (minced), and red pepper flakes (not pictured) all added to the flavor but can be used generously, sparingly, or not at all depending on your tastes. When you mix all of this together, it will be pretty chunky and think. Add water (small amounts at a time) to thin it out to the consistency you want! Mine thickened a little in the fridge and I actually liked it even better the next day (just FYI).

I served the peanut sauce on the side (garnished with red pepper flakes) but it was so good, I ended up using it generously over each one of the rolls I ate!

This entire recipe is all gluten-free- just make sure you use a gluten-free soy sauce or an alternative like the liquid aminos that I used! The liquid aminos can be found on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2jqWfpj Full disclosure: I get a small commission from Amazon if you buy this product but this is honestly what I use at home and wanted to make it easier for you to find!

If you are vegan and don’t eat honey, that can easily be taken out of the peanut sauce or substituted with agave or pure organic maple syrup.

If you don’t like or eat shrimp, don’t worry- I made a bunch of them without it and they were just as good!

Watch the video, let me know what you think, and let me know how yours turn out! Feel free to contact me with any questions!!

Happy cooking!

Katelyn

I would be honored to help you with your health and fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Greatest gift is a loving, supportive group!

I heard a song on the way home from my L3 Leadership women's group that said, "the greatest risk we'll ever take is by far is to stand in the light and be seen as we are." Well after tonight's meeting, I would say that it's also the greatest GIFT by far when we can stand, being fully open and ourselves, and be loved and accepted.

Our group of 11 women opened their hearts, shared their struggles and vulnerabilities, and welcomed each other with love and open arms. I left feeling FULL of joy and so excited to build on the friendships with the women of the group who I already know and to build loving friendships with the ones I met for the first time.

I had a flashback to our L3 Leadership meeting at this time last year and it made my heart smile to think of the friendships that bloomed out of the people I was meeting for the first time or just beginning to get to know.

So much MAGIC can be created when a group of vulnerable and expansive people can come together; friends that push me yet comfort me; friends that challenge me to grow and ALWAYS have my best interests in mind; people who walk strongly in their faith and inspire me with the way they live life.

A big thing I worked on last year was to be extremely intentional with who I spend my time with. I know that surrounding myself with people who I want to BE MORE LIKE, not only brings the best out in me- it brings so much joy to my life!

So THANK YOU to Laura Smith for starting this group this year and to all of you who came wanting to better yourselves and help everyone in the group do the same! Together we lift each other higher than we could ever go alone and I am SO GRATEFUL for each and every one of you and our wonderful, loving group as a whole!!!

If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone reading this- if you haven't found a group of people yet that makes you feel fully supported while challenging you to live your best life, intentionally seek it. Your group is out there too, waiting with open arms!

I would be honored to help you with your health and fitness (or LIFE) journey!!  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Happy Heart, Healthy Life!

Today I was listening to a youtube video that Nikki Phillippi posted of her interview with Katrina and Karena from Tone It Up on what makes a healthy lifestyle. Katrina said she believes it starts with a healthy heart: healthy relationships, healthy friendships, great happiness, and taking care of your body.

I couldn’t agree more!

Any time I get caught up in self-doubt or worry that I’m not where I should be in any area of my life, it’s almost always because I’m putting the focus on ME, not on what service I can be to others.

I immediately feel better when I think of how I can make someone else’s day better; or appreciate the wonderful, supportive, uplifting people around me; or stop to notice all the GOOD in this world!

The comparison game never makes anyone feel better. Take the focus off of you and how you “measure up” and start putting the focus on helping others!

Surround yourself with people who make you feel good and lift you UP! If your friends don’t think or act that way, find new friends!! If we lived to be 1000 years old, life would still be too short to waste it on any petty drama.

Find the people who purely embody love and kindness. Start by being that type of person yourself!

Don’t you feel happier and healthier already? :)

Sending love your way, friends!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Healthy traveling tips and healthy friends!

This past week I went to Las Vegas for a business conference with my incredible team of Beachbody coaches. We all stayed in a house together (the house was AWESOME! A tour can be found on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/katelyn.lesk.3)!

Daily workouts, eating well, support, everyone making the extra effort to plan ahead/pack healthy food for the conference.... I actually lost weight on this trip and I FEEL amazing! How often does that happen when returning from a trip??

Moral of the story: the habits of those you spend the most time around WILL influence your health! Surround yourself with people with healthy habits or be the one who sets the trend for your friends and family!!!

If you’d like to see a special healthy tip I have for when returning from a trip, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9OZyValTXw!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

You can contact me or find out more information using:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk

Beachbody page: http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk

Or my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/kate37721

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Personal growth books to deal with the world and its uncertainty

I often get asked about my favorite personal growth books and how I stay so positive. They go hand in hand. Forcing positivity without true inner peace is temporary. I believe that any sustaining joy and peace comes from a true knowing of your beliefs. And the easiest way to figure that out is to open your mind to other perspectives, to learn what is out there, and to feel what resonates with you as truth. YOU get to decide.

It's nearly impossible for me to pick a favorite personal growth book or tool that has done this for me because SO MANY books, authors, conferences, speakers, youtube videos, podcasts, etc have helped me SEE more and have positively impacted my life. It has also come from my own vigilant application of these concepts, prayer, meditation, and a practice of compassion and self-love. Not once in a while. All day, every day.

I've pulled out my favorite books that were each turning points in my life when I read them. While there are many others, these are the ones that I am constantly coming back to. These books are completely devoid of judgment and teach only love.

"Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsh taught me that there is no good or bad; there is only the meaning we bring to each experience/circumstance.

"Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" by Dr. Wayne Dyer taught me to learn through the powerful examples of nature to allow, to be one, to be flexible, and to live without attachment.

"A Course In Miracles." If you're familiar with it, you know it's a life-long process of untraining ourselves from our conditioned thought patterns of illusion, ALWAYS choosing love over fear. No exceptions. "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." -ACIM

"A Man's Search for Meaning," written by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl about his experiences in the Holocaust taught me I can ALWAYS choose my attitude no matter what the circumstances.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Regardless of politics, external circumstances, or anything else that we may feel is affecting our lives, we should always be striving for our own personal growth. External circumstances are always changing. We develop a kinder, more peaceful, more joy-filled world by first cultivating that within ourselves. We ARE love. Peace already exists. And we can tap into joy anytime we want. It only takes remembering that it is all already there. 

Love you all,
Katelyn

Healthy Chocolate Shakeology Candy and Treats!

Imagine chocolate candy, ice cream, pudding, and chocolate-covered fruit that are all actually GOOD for you! We’ve got it!!!

Here are some GREAT recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth while eating fully healthy foods! These recipes include no added sugars, no artificial ingredients/flavorings/colorings, and are PACKED with good nutrients! They all utilize Beachbody’s incredible health shake, Shakeology! If you don’t know what that is, you can check out my run-down of what I love about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2loh3aOeBOs (and if you decide you want to get yourself some, purchasing info can be found here: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908)!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease*

I am writing this blog post for a 7 Day No-Candy Challenge that our team is currently running, so I will start off with our candy recipes then get to some other sweet treats later!

ADD-ANYTHING CHOCOLATE

This chocolate recipe is REALLY easy and will be the base for a few of the other recipes. I’ll be honest, I make this a little differently each time so the amount of coconut oil and Shakeology is approximate. The mixture (before freezing) should be thick but still liquidy. The thicker it is, the richer your final product will be. You might want to try a few very small batches to get your mix to your taste preferences! Adding fruit also really helps balance out the richness. Nuts and other similar add-ins help too. AND they all make it even more delicious!!

My favorite add-ins are fruit (I make chocolate covered strawberries and frozen chocolate bananas this way- recipe down below in this blog), almonds, and pecans. I’ve only added them in separately but I'm sure using a combination of these add-ins would be good too! I plan on trying batches with cashews, pecans, and peaches soon (I’ll keep you posted)!

For this particular batch I used pecans as my add-in!

Ingredients:

Approx. 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil

Approx. 1.5 scoops Vegan Chocolate Shakeology (regular chocolate Shakeology works too but vegan chocolate is my favorite of the flavors so that’s what I always have stocked)!

Your add-ins (in this case, pecans)

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave. I add in the Shakeology a half scoop at a time so that when the mix starts to get thick, I stop adding. If it gets too thick, just melt more coconut oil and add that in. Hopefully you can judge by the picture (direct middle square in the above collage) what the final thickness should look approximately like!

Next, add your pecans or other add-ins! For nuts it’s easiest to stir the nuts in. For fruit, I usually pour the chocolate mixture over the fruit.

Throw it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and you’ve got yourself an amazing treat!!

**Note about the container: My preference is to use this handy glass bowl but it is really hard to get the candy out once it’s frozen (I use a sharp, pointed knife to cut it within the bowl). The easiest way is to pour the mixture (before freezing) onto a small sheet of aluminum foil with edges rolled up. This makes it super easy to remove once frozen. The only reason I use the bowl is that it’s easier to fit in my freezer :)

HEALTHY REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

This recipe is from my friend and awesome coach, Stephanie Wess (you can view more of her delicious recipes on her page: https://www.facebook.com/getfitwihsteph/). Thanks, Steph!!

Picture care of Steph! :)

Ingredients (this will make 8 peanut butter cups):

4 tablespoons of coconut oil

8 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology or raw cacao powder add stevia as a sweetener

4 teaspoons of natural peanut butter

Place 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds until the coconut oil is liquefied.

Stir in 4 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology. Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between 8 spots in a mini muffin tin. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Pull the muffin tray out of the freezer. Place a half a teaspoon of peanut butter on top of each chocolate disk. Spread the peanut butter evenly over the hardened chocolate with a knife.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology. Use this to pour on top of the peanut butter layer. **You will want to do this in 2 batches so it doesn’t harden up on you while the first layer of chocolate is hardening in the freezer.

Place the muffin tin back in the freezer and leave it in there for at least 30 minutes.

The chocolate cups will slide easily out of the tin. Keep the cups stored in the fridge or freezer for the best consistency!

CHOCOLATE COVERED FROZEN BANANAS

I warn you, NOTHING about this is pretty but if you can get past the looks, it is a delicious and nutritious treat! Make the chocolate using the “Add-anything chocolate” recipe above then pour over a banana in a bowl and freeze! It tastes JUST like the frozen bananas I used to get at carnivals and fairs as a kid! In fact, you could probably make it a lot prettier by putting the banana on a stick like at the fairs and freezing it on a sheet of aluminum foil for easy removal.

SHAKEOLOGY PUDDING

Shakeology pudding is amazing!!!!! And if you’re doing the 21 Day Fix, it easily fits right into the meal plan!!

SHAKEOLOGY ICE CREAM

Another AMAZING and healthy treat! Like the “Add-anything chocolate” recipe, this one also has a lot of flexibility to what you can add in to make it even more delicious. My favorites are blueberries and strawberries!

Recipe here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/03/healthy-shakeology-ice-cream.html

Happy, healthy cooking wishes to you! Enjoy!!!

~ Katelyn

Shakeology purchasing info: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=183908

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.