Protein Overnight Oats with Pazazz

Happy 2021! New year, new healthy habits, and new recipes! I have a super easy and delicious recipe for you to start your day off with.

Protein and Pazazz! See what I did there? 😉 Y’all know my love for the “Jolly Rancher” of apples, the Pazazz apple, so I have once again teamed up with Honeybear brands to bring you a new and delicious way to eat your apple a day 🍎

February is National Cancer Awareness Month and Pazazz apples have teamed up with the American Institute for Cancer Research. Pazazz will donate $1 to the AICR to further fight against the disease. They are making is super easy to donate!

1.) Follow this LINK to donate online. Pazazz is donating $1 for every COMPLETED challenge on the Shareity app!

2.) Text PAZ to 797979 to donate $1

3.) OR follow my personal LINK so I can track our donating progress!

Recipe As Follows:

I have been using a protein drink in a lot of my new meals and coffee to help me reach my recommended daily amount and of course by using an entire apple, you are also adding in fiber, probiotics, and several other health benefits.

Ingredients:

1 Pazazz apple, diced

1/4 cup oats

3/4 cup Cinnamon Roll Premier Protein drink (any brand will work or flavor)

1 tsp pure maple syrup (can leave out)

dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1.) Add all ingredients to a mason jar or container with a lid. If you like the apples more of a soft consistency, add the diced apples to a microwaveable bowl and spray with spray butter. Heat for 2 minuted covered with saran wrap until soft. Add to the jar and place in fridge overnight.

2.) I don’t love them cold, so I heat in microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute before eating.

Flourless Peanut Butter & Banana Muffins

Who said healthy eating can’t be delicious? I am stopping all of the diets and fads and just going back to the basics. Eating healthy, drinking water, and exercising. I honestly have never felt better. I got rid of the bloat (except when aunt flow comes 🤨) rid of the headaches, rid of the mid day slump of feeling like I need a nap, and definitely more regular in my bathroom breaks!

This all kind of stemmed from a visit with my Dad when he was eating everything fresh and here I was trying to eat my thousandth hamburger without the bun 🤢 Definitely over it.

I love carbs and I really love breakfast carbs, like donuts and cinnamon rolls, but those are so bad for you if you consume them on a regular basis. I was playing around with a few recipes and came up with this one that I absolutely love! I hope you love it too and please tag me in your posts so I can see your finished products! Also let me know if you change anything in the recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana- mashed

1/4 cup peanut butter- I used Simply Jif

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/4 cup Original Almond Milk

1 1/4 cup oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

few semi sweet mini chocolate chips for garnish

Steps:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.) Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. I used coconut/avocado oil spray from Aldi

3.) I used my bullet mixer but you can use a blender to add all wet ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

4.) Add dry ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth, except for the chocolate chips. Fold those into batter last before pouring into muffin tin or use them as garnish.

5.) Pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine are square because I used a brownie pan)

Serve warm with butter! Enjoy!

Why Buy an Apple?

Why do you buy apples? Besides keeping the doctor away? 😉 Next time you are in the grocery store and you need apples, grab these Pazazz apples! Needing recipe inspiration? Last year I teamed up with Honeybear brands and created new & healthy recipes using Pazazz apples! You can find that post HERE. And if you have no idea how to even go about finding the perfect apple for a specific recipe, look no further! I have highlighted it below!

When I shared these apples last year, I received so many positive messages on the taste of them! I can’t wait for you all to try them! You can find them at your local HyVee grocery store. Pazazz apples are a mixture of tart and sweet and a descendant of the infamous Honeycrisp apple, so what’s not to love??

Did you know there are certain apples that are best for use in recipes? Below are a few tips to help you when it comes to choosing the perfect apple.

**Image provided by Honeybear brands

**Image provided by Honeybear Brands

**Image provided by Honeybear Brands

I have a MUST TRY recipe for all you apple lovers! Test out the skills you have learned from this post and pick the perfect baking apples for this Dutch Apple Pie! Tag me in your finished products or your apple picking stories! Make sure to follow me @ladyandredstyle and Honeybear brands on Instagram and on Facebook for up to date information, recipes, and apple news!

Apples 101

Who knew that apples had such health benefits as aiding in weight loss? Not all sugar is bad for you. ‘Tis the season where everyone is in the beginning stages of their New Years goals or resolutions and majority of people include healthy eating or diets into their regimens. The image below highlights some of the most important functions of an apple, including the old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

** Image provided by Honeybear Brands

Looking for more fun ways to incorporate apples into your diet? I have a few ideas below:

*make applesauce

*dehydrate them (add a touch of cinnamon to them)

*add them in when sautéing Brussel sprouts

*mix into a salad

* add it into a smoothie

*use them as dippers in your favorite yogurt, peanut butter, or cookie dough 😬

*apple snicker salad

*Sangria

This is a sponsored post with Honeybear brands. All thoughts and words are my own.

3-Day Juice Cleanse-Before and After

I am no stranger to doing a 3-day cleanse as I love them for a reset. When I see the scale tip over my “ideal” weight, I stop caring and start telling myself, “well one more donut won’t matter now.” Anyone else?? I hate feeling tired, sluggish, and bloated, but I love crappy food. I was scanning Groupon for something to do over Christmas break with my daughter and there were like 15 different juice cleanses available but no activities. HINT HINT 😂 Ok I got the message loud and clear and decided now was the time. Is there ever a perfect time to start? No. I am always going to have dinner plans or want a glass of wine, but you have to make time for you.

I have done the Suja cleanse in the past and loved it. You can get it at Whole Foods, Target, or online. I really wanted to try something fresh and local to me this time. I found The Juice Company, which has 2 locations, one here in Des Moines, and the other in Ankeny. I called the store and asked a few questions but they encouraged me to come in and try them before ordering. Not going to lie, I was annoyed at the time but it ended up being the best thing ever. So thank you!! A cleanse is something that you should start for YOUR success, not failure, and if you order something without tasting it, you may be setting yourself up to quit.

You order your juice the day before you want to pick it up or start your cleanse so it is fresh. You can pick it all up at once or go in each day. Again, mine is customized to me so if you want to do the same thing I did, they will know if you say you want to try the “ladyandred cleanse”. It cost me around $80 for the 3 days which is the most affordable cleanse I have done and the freshest one too!

My juices consist of these fruits/vegetables:

Spinach, Kale, Apples, Oranges, Lemons, Celery, Cucumbers, Ginger Root, Mangos, Bananas, Carrots, Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Guava.

Day 1

I started my morning off with my regular coffee as suggested by The Juice Company, but tried to avoid the creamers and drink it black. I added 1 creamer instead of 2 🤷🏼‍♀️ Got to start somewhere right? I had 2 cups of coffee.

I started late because I picked the juice up at 1030 am, then immediately had one of my berry juices. It was delicious. Like seriously good.

I went to the gym and worked out lightly for about 40 minutes and did legs and some abs. You can see some of my workouts in my Instagram bio under “Workouts” if you are wanting some inspiration.

Then came time to pour my first GREEN drink after the gym. All of the messages from my IG stories were wanting to know how bad it was? 😂 It honestly is not bad and I did a 50/50 mixture of the juices to make it perfect for me. I can't go from donuts to celery in 1 day. I don’t even like celery.

I took some before photos and I don’t want to hear “ oh you are way skinnier than me or you don’t even need to do a cleanse.” Save it. I don’t need to do anything, but I don’t like feeling like crap every single day and feeling so tired from the food I am shoving in my mouth that I need a nap every day at noon. I am basically working out to stuff my face right now and that is not productive at all. I like my weight to be around 120 ish. That is a good weight for me. Ladies and Gentlemen, stop comparing yourself to everyone else at that same weight. We all look and feel different at the exact same weight and I only ever step on the scale if my pants stop fitting right 😂 But I did it for this so you could see numbers.

The jug seemed to keep refilling itself 😳 Like the green juice was never ending. Haha I felt like I was more bloated after day 1 than anything else. I peed every 5 minutes and it reminded me why I hate drinking water. I was preparing myself for the salad shooter to begin (sorry 😂) but it came in the form of a very potent gas 🤢 Thankfully I slept alone.

I took my last juice of the day (it was a banana one) and turned it into a slushy with my most favorite cup ever. It is actually Rowan’s, but I have one too! I will link in HERE. (Pictured below).

Day 2.

I started my day off with a coffee as I normally do with one less creamer, then went to the gym for a 2 mile run. I planned on 3 miles but honestly did not have the energy from my migraine the night before, and I wasn’t eating as many calories and carbs as I was prior to my cleanse. I did however feel more energized mentally and not so foggy, if that makes sense. That’s probably where the term “sugar coma or food coma” comes from.

I weighed myself after my coffee, gym, and first juice of the day because I forgot to first thing in the morning. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Again, this is not about weight loss for me as much as a restart to better eating habits.

I had an orange looking drink for my first juice and I was totally not wanting to try it for fear it tasted like carrots and dirt, but again, it was delicious. I have been regular with my bathroom breaks, so for those worried about having to run to the toilet every hour, I do, but just to pee. Although when I went for my massage I was terrified she would squeeze out a toot or perhaps get my bowels working when I didn’t want them too 😂. I was fine and neither happened. Praise the Lord.

After my first small juice, I just start drinking the green juice all day again until it was gone, then finished the night off with another fruity one. I kind of like something to look forward to after green allllllll day! So I definitely recommend spacing out your 2 fruit juices like I did. I began to slack on finishing the recommended amount of green juice throughout the day, but I felt full, so I guess that is a good thing, plus I am not used to consuming that many liquids on a normal basis.

Day 3.

Can you tell a difference? I certainly can! Pay no mind to a scale friends. I have technically only lost 3 lbs, but my stomach definition is coming back and the bloat is gone! I did a small workout and ran 1 mile, then lifted a few weights, with some abdominal exercises. I wasn’t feeling super and I was a tad light headed, but I am not eating much either, just drinking. Why workout then you ask? Well, because when you start and keep an exercise routine, you tend to stick to it when it is part of your normal day. Plus, I feel a ton better after I do. It clears my head. It’s me time. Even if you just start out by walking. Do something and get moving.

I did not finish all of the green juice again on day 3, but then I just drank it the following morning after my workout. I also cheated and ate a filet with asparagus AND 2 glasses of wine. That was the quickest buzz ever 😂

I am going to hop back on the Keto train now where I will avoid most sugar and carbs with balance. I love my wine and occasional sweet. If you are wanting some different Keto recipes, I have a few posted here on my blog in FOOD category! I will also do better at sharing snacks and meals over on my IG stories too so make sure you are following me there @ladyandredstyle.

TIPS:

-The first taste of the green juice will taste very “celery-ish” to you, but by the 2nd or 3rd cup it gets sweeter and then by the second day, it is completely gone.

-Start with one fruit juice in am and end your day with the other one. Green juice in the middle of the day.

-Do it with friends so they can keep you accountable. Or post about it. Don’t worry about the haters who hate seeing you post all of the time. They can find the block or unfollow button.

-Go taste the juices if you can! That way you can figure out what you like.

-Tag me in your posts on either Facebook OR Instagram so I can see your progress!!

Happy New Year Friends!

Get healthy for you. This life is what you make it and your body is a temple. Treat it like one. Cheers!