What is coconut oil used for?

About 2 years ago my mom and I decided to do The Ultimate Reset. It is a program through Beachbody that gently restores your body, it brings your body back to its healthiest state. You quit putting toxins in your body, you have better digestion and it helps you lose weight. While doing this program, we were told to cook with coconut oil. At the time, my mom and I werent really familiar with what coconut oil was. Since then I've heard nothing but positive things about coconut oil, so I decided to do my own research to find out the benefits for myself. 

Here are some of my favorite uses that I found!!

1. It can be used to moisturize your skin. Instead of using lotions that have a bunch of toxins.

2. You can use it to cook with. My favorite meal that I have made with coconut oil is stir fry. I dont know what it about the coconut oil but when it mixes with the veggies, its to die for!!!

3. It can be used as makeup remover. ***I haven't tried this yet, but I am going to try it tonight!!

4. It can help with dry calloused feet and hands. You can use just the coconut oil and rub that on your feet or you could mix the coconut oil with sugar and make a scrub out of it.

5. It can be taken as a supplement for daily energy.

6. You can use coconut oil as a coffee creamer. If you make your coffee, put the coffee and coconut oil in a blender and Wa-La!!

7. It can lighten age spots on the skin. You apply it like lotion.

8. It helps with stretch marks, put it on morning and night!

9. It will help increase sun tolerance and help avoid your skin from burning. It has SPF 4 in it.

10. It can help improve sleep when taken daily.

11. It can speed up weight loss when consumed daily.

12. It helps with baby rash.

13. It can help with frizzy hair. BUT only use a small amount... You hardly want any on your fingers, otherwise you will get greasy hair.

14. It can act as an intense face moisturizer at night.

15. It can be used as a natural chapped stick.

16. It can topically kill yeast or yeast infections.

17. It has high Lauric acid and MCFC content that helps boost metabolism.

18. It can help sooth eczema. Which for anyone who has eczema, like me, its sooooo hard to STOP ITCHING!!!

19. There is some evidence that proves that coconut oil helps digestion and may even kill intestinal parasites or yeast.

20. It can help improve insulin levels. Diabetes runs in my family so I need to constantly be checking to make sure that my levels are always on point.

21. It can be used as shaving cream and after shave lotion. This will help reduce bumps and rashes.

22. It can be used to help get rid of cradle cap. When I was little I had really bad cradle cap and during the winter to this day I still get a little dry patch on the center of my head. So I will also be using this once my dry patch comes this year!

AND  my last favorite use!!!
23. Oil pulling. To oil pull, you put about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil into a cup, warm it up until its melted, put the liquid into your mouth and swish it around for 20 minutes. When you oil pull it is removing toxins, plaque and its whitening your teeth!! 

Do you have any favorite uses for coconut oil?

How to Lose the Few Pounds You Put on During Thanksgiving

So if you followed my journey the past week, you've seen how I put in hard work for 3 days and I got pretty awesome results with the 3 Day Refresh!

I want to pay if forward and help out other ladies who are just like me!

Do you:

*Want to eat your your entire thanksgiving meal and dessert
*Want to lose a few pounds
*Want to feel refreshed
*Want to fell less bloated


... If you answered yes to any of these questions then keep reading!!!


Starting December 3rd I am hosting a 3 Day Refresh group! The group will consist of a plant based diet to cleanse your system of all the toxins that we consumed over Thankgiving.
I want you ladies to be able to enjoy your thanksgiving meal without feeling guilty, without counting calories and whatever else you may do!

Many people have already asked me "So you did some crazy juice cleanse for 3 days?"

NOOOO! NOT at all, I ate fruits and veggies and there were a couple shakes mixed in there. But the most important thing... I never starved!!! I fed my body things it needed and craved! 

So, if you want to indulge over Thanksgiving and then get right back on track before Christmas comes lets chat and lets get your ready for the best Holiday season you've ever experienced!
https://www.facebook.com/ORourkeKa

You dont have to dread holiday season!!!

Xoxo,
Kate  

3 Day Refresh Results

It takes a lot of courage to post before and after pictures. Its really quite scary.
You begin your journey in a place of dissatisfaction and you end your journey with confidence and a healthy body that loves you for nourishing it with exercise and nutrition.

Before I started the 3 Day Refresh, I had put on a few extra pounds. I wasn't comfortable in my skin like I was in the past. After I completed T25 I was a whole new person, I felt better, acted better and WAS BETTER, but a week ago, I was none of those things.

Thats all I wanted was another program to give me that same feeling! So as I started my journey I knew that T25 was not easy, it took hard work and time. And if I wanted to see results and BE BETTER I was going to have to put in the same work to accomplish what I set out to do.

So I decided to become disciplined! 3 days- I needed to put hard work in for 3 days, anyone can do anything for 3 days, right?!!!



I was embarrassed of my before photo. WHY!
Because I was at a place in my life where I wasnt comfortable and a place where I didnt want to be.

BUT

I got to thinking, I tell people in my challenge groups all the time not to be embarrassed of their BEFORE photos, because they are called before photos for a reason. You are working towards something bigger and greater then where you currently are. Your after photos are called AFTER because after you have worked hard for something, you will see results.

So with that being said... here are my results!!!

I started at 124 pounds and am currently 120 pounds!



Look at the difference in my inner thighs and upper stomach!

I know it looks like I am pushing out, but I am not, I have horrible posture.



Its amazing what 3 days can do!!

Are you ready to change your habits and lose a couple pounds that are stuck before the holidays?

If so, head over to

https://www.facebook.com/ORourkeKa
and send me a message!!!

3 Day Refresh Review Day 3

Today is all about questions!! ANDDDDD
It was my last freaking day!!!! WOOHOO!! **Im doing my happy dance**

I wanted people to ask me questions because I thought over the past couple days I was giving out alot of info, but I realized that people were still asking me questions. I realized I wasnt covering or being clear enough in what I was writing! 

Question 1: Does the 3 Day Refresh affect your daily activities?

I honestly dont think that it hindered my daily activities at all. I meal prepped the night before which took a half hour to cut up all the veggies. But honestly that is the longest amount of time that I have spent on anything with this program. I would wake up in the morning blend my Shakeology. For my snacks and lunch, I would already have my food packed and in zip lock bags ready to go, and the shakes that come with the Refresh, I would bring the packet and a blender bottle. It was super simple and easy! And dinners took me a total of 30 minutes. Everything was quick and simple. 

Question 2: Is it the same meal plan all 3 days?

This question is iffy. Everyday you follow the same plan, so for example, for lunch you drink your Vanilla Fresh, veggies, fruit and a healthy fat, everyday. They dont tell you "you have to eat spinach as your veggie". You get to choose what veggies you want to eat and there are tons of options of what you can have! Me personally, I did eat the same thing everyday, ONLY because, I didnt want to waste any food, I used what we had in the house and it lasted me the full 3 days!

Question 3: Do you workout for the 3 days?

You can workout if you want to. They tell you that some exercise is okay. I personally didnt, I like to know that clean eating will give you results without working out for 3 days. Also I would come home from work and I would be tried, I knew that I needed to give my body a break! When you do a cleanse it kinda takes a toll on your body and wears you down a little!


Question 4: What is the main purpose of the 3 Day Refresh?

The purpose of the 3 Day Refresh is to cleanse your body from toxins that you have put into your body. Your body knows what should and shouldnt be put in it. For example, my body knows that whole foods like this gives me energy and helps me to remain clear and focused, and that is exactly what the Refresh has done.  The Refresh is there to help you lose the few pounds that you have put on in a short time period. And it is also used to help jump start your health and fitness journey, it will give you maximum results if you do the Refresh before you start a program. 

Question 5: Can you eat meat?

You are not allowed to have meat while being on the Refresh, you will get all the protein you need from Shakeology and Vanilla Fresh. The Refresh is a plant based cleanse, which means you cant have any dairy either. If you are like me, you are probably freaking out because you wont be able to have meat, but honestly dont be! The past 3 days, I have actually forgot that I havent put a piece of meat into my mouth. 

I survived the 3 days and I feel so renewed! I cant explain what this program has done for me and how AMAZING I feel!!! Tomorrow I will be giving my final overview and possibly revealing my BEFORE and AFTER pictures!! Check back!!

3 Day Refresh Review Day 2

I have made it through DAY 2!! I am over half way through!!

I kinda cant believe that I have made it this far. For those of you who dont know me really well... well  I eat pizza at least 2-3 times a week and a have to have something small everyday that is sweet. I am not saying that these habits work for everyone, but they work for me. Not really sure why but they do.
Well those pizza nights that I was having turned into a cheat meals every single day, multiple times a day. And that is ULTIMATELY why I decided I needed a refresh! I need to get back on track before the holidays got here and I OVER DID IT!!

So anyways...as promised, I said I would be reviewing the program a little more than I did yesterday. Yesterday was just an overview so that you guys knew what I was eating and experiencing!

So here is my review:

Today has been harder than yesterday. Today around 10:00am I got a head ache. Not sure why, but around 2:00pm it was gone.
And today I was hungrier than yesterday, which I also am not sure why because I ate all the same things today as I did yesterday! WEIRDDD!


People may be wondering what the drinks taste like and what their consistency is:

Fiber Sweep: Tastes like orange.
                       I added more water to this drink because it is a little gritty
                       Fills you up but is lite.
                       You need to drink it within 10 minutes. I slowly drank it today and it got a little                                     thick. If I waited any longer I probably wouldnt be able to drink it because it was quite                        thick.
                       I love the taste!!

Vanilla Fresh: Tastes alot like Vanilla Shakeology. I dont know how to explain it, because I cant                                 relate it to anything else.
                        You should definitely blend it in a mixer instead of just shaking it!

                        The vanilla fresh is heavier than the fiber sweep. The vanilla fresh really fills you up.
                        This one I dont love the taste of.
** I talked to coaches yesterday and they were telling me how much they enjoyed the Vanilla Fresh! I started to get nervous because I didnt know what I was doing wrong and why I didnt really like the Vanilla Fresh. Tonight I mixed in cinnamon and pure vanilla extract and HOLY CRAP it made a huge difference. I still dont LOVE it, but I can definitely drink it easier now!!

I dont feel lighter yet but I am a lot more focused. In college, I would wake up in the morning and I would make a list of everything I needed to get done for the day and then I would take everything on my list and write a time next to it. It helped me with time management and helped to make sure I got everything done. Lately I have been so dysfunctional and unorganized. I havent made a list in MONTHS. This morning I woke up and made my list. I didnt even realize I was making it until I was half way through!! Talk about amazing!

My moms review:

**I wish I had a complete review from her, but she is working... so she gave me her review via a text message!

My mom told me that she wasn't hungry at all yesterday or today!! Lucky duck! She told me she was a little tired today and yesterday but nothing unbearable. And the BEST PART, she said she is starting to feel lighter!!! AGAIN, LUCKY DUCK!!!


Tomorrow, I would love to answer any questions you may have. I feel that you can get your questions answered and find out questions that other people might have. It will be anonymous.

If you want to ask me any questions go to my Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ORourkeKa

Message me your questions by 5:00pm and they will be answered on tomorrows blog!

         

3 Day Refresh Review Day 1

Well I made it through the first day!!

I've got to be honest. I really didn't think I would be still functioning. I have done the Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse in the past and I couldn't make it through the first day. I was tired, hungry, grumpy, you name it. And I didnt finish.

So when my mom said that she wanted us to both do the 3 Day Refresh, I was skeptical. Now I don't want to get ahead of myself but we are already off to a good start because we made it through 

DAY 1!!!!

So my day started off with a huge glass of water... even though it didn't have to be HUGE, I wanted to make sure that I got my metabolism up and running!! 5:45 am.

Then within an hour of waking up I needed to have BREAKFAST which was my Shakeology!! 6:30 am.

I had tea in the morning, which was optional. 9:00 am.

Mid morning I had my Fiber Sweep. I heard that it was really gross, so I was nervous to try it. But after my first sip, I realized it was actually pretty good. The texture wasn't the greatest but it was drinkable. 10:30 am.

All morning I did really well. I wasn't hungry. I actually almost forgot to drink my Fiber Sweep. It was really refreshing knowing that I wasn't hungry all day.

But a half hour after drinking the Fiber Sweep, I became super hungry.. like my stomach was growling and I WANTED FOOD NOW!!!!
But in between every meal you have to wait and hour.. So I stuck it out for another half hour until 11:30 am.

11:30 rolled around and I was sooo ready for lunch!!!!!



For lunch I had my Vanilla Fresh shake, an apple, cucumbers and hummus.
I took my first sip of the Vanilla Fresh and wasn't too impressed. Drinking it was fine but the after taste was gross!
So I made sure to drink the Vanilla Fresh first, washed it down with some water and finished the rest of my lunch!!

I had my afternoon snack which was also cucumbers and more hummus (my FAVORITE)!!
2:30pm.

I had my afternoon tea around 3:30-4:00.

By the time 5:30 came around, I was hungry again. And I needed to make dinner ASAP!

Dinner tonight was a Veggie Stir Fry and more Vanilla Fresh!

After completing today, I have to say that I feel great. I am a little tired, but I think that is because lack of sleep last night! I actually am very hyper and have alot of energy.

I don't feel lighter yet. I actually feel a little bloated, so I am hoping the bloated belly goes away!!!


My mom and I made it through Day 1!!!



Tomorrow I will be reviewing it more, and I will be giving my moms experience so far!!

 Check Back!!!

Prepping for the 3 Day Refresh

When I decide to do something new, it always scares me and makes me nervous, like FREAK OUT PANIC ATTACK NERVOUS. I dont LOVE change... But, I try to always remind myself that I cant GROW if I dont try new things. 

So with that being said... I have let myself go. I have been eating whatever I want and not focusing on my eating. Which is HORRIBLE.
I'm bloated.
I lack energy.
And I am NOT FOCUSED.

My mom and I partner up for everything, we are each others back bone. When I am struggling, I go to her for help and support and when she is struggling, she will come to me for help and support.
So we decided that we are going to be doing the 3 Day Refresh together!!!! Starting... TOMORROW!!!

Today, I prepped for us!

I read through my handy booklet to find out what we should be eating and drinking for the next 3 days, and if we should be doing any physical activity.

Over the next 3 days, we will be eating alot of natural foods, drinking PLENTY of water and doing light exercises.
The kit that you get from Beachbody comes with 3 packets of "Fiber Sweep" and 6 packets of "Vanilla Fresh".

The Fiber Sweep drink eliminates waste from your digestive system, while supporting healthy intestinal flora.
The Vanilla Fresh drink, is high in protein and helps satisfy your hunger. Its gives you proper nutrition for a healthy weight loss and also has fiber in it. *Dairy and soy free*

After reading the booklet I started to prep, probably the biggest component when eating healthy!! You have to meal prep or you will NOT succeed.

I had a hard time trying to figure out how much I would need for veggies because it was calculated with measuring cups and without having the food already in front of you, it is hard to know exactly how much you need. So I made sure that I had enough food for the first day to see how much I would need for the next days!

Check back tomorrow to see if my mom and I made it through our first day!!!

XOXO,

Kate

How to make Reese's?

Who doesnt like Reese's? 

I know that when they are in my house they get eaten so quickly.

So I decided to make a healthy version of Reese's, this way when I eat one, I dont feel guilty.

Ohh and did I mention, you need 4 ingredients and it takes less that 10 minutes to make!!

What you need:
2 tbsp Coconut oil
4 tbsp Chocolate Shakeology
2 tbsp PB2
2 tsp water


Step 1:
Heat up coconut oil for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Step 2:
Add in your Shakeology and stir.

Step 3:
Mix your PB2 and water.

Step 4:
Poor Shakeology mixture into the bottom of cupcake wrappers (we only had normal cupcake wrappers, but when you make this yourself, get the mini wrappers).
Poor some of your peanut butter mixture.
Lastly, finish with your top layer of Shakeology mixture.

Step 5:

Put them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!!!

So I made the Shakeology Reese's and of course wanted to try them to give you my honest review of how they turned out.

I put way too much chocolate in them. Ya know how normal Reese's have more Peanut Butter than they do chocolate? Well mine were opposite. So next time I need to change that. If you like a lot of chocolate, it might not bother you as much, but for me... I am not a chocolate LOVER.

Second--- I am a PEANUT BUTTER FREAK, and I didnt the PB2 was strong enough, you could taste it, but it was really a faint taste. So the next time I make them, I am going to use almond butter instead!!

I think I am going to make these sometime this week with the changes I think will help!!
**I am on the hunt for the mini cupcake wrappers, so let me know if you find any!!

What Is a Good Christmas Present to Give?

With Christmas right around the corner people are racking their brains on what to give for Christmas.

AM I RIGHT?!

I rack my brain every year. And I always think... what do you give to someone who has everything or who can buy anything they want.
Its really hard to find THAT perfect gift.
Ya know when you were younger and your parents always said "make me something, it means more". I truly believe that is true to this day, no matter how old you are!

Last year I put my craftiness to use and made my family members wreaths. I wasnt really sure what to expect and if they would like them. But I thought long and hard about what their favorite colors were, or what colors would look best in their homes.

And this was a great success! MY FAMILY LOVED THEM!!! Over the past year I have had people ask me to make wreaths for them.

With the holidays coming up, I have had a few people who want me to make wreaths for them, so they can give them to a friend or family member this year for Christmas.

I want to extend this invite to anyone who is interested. If you would like me to make a wreath for you, so that you can give it as a gift this year, please private message me on facebook.

Here is my FB link:
https://www.facebook.com/ORourkeKa

Here are a few wreaths that I have made and have taken pictures of. Some of the wreaths I've made, I have forgotten to take pictures of. So if you have any other ideas that you would like for me to make just show me an idea of what you would like it to look like!!! GO ONTO PINTEREST, thats where I get my inspiration from!!!