Words are powerful. In fact, they are way more powerful then we realize. In Proverbs 12:18 it says. " There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Have you ever been talking to someone and all of a sudden something they say feels like a punch to the gut? Or you start a conversation with a stranger in a grocery line and they say something encouraging that brings you to tears, like a balm for your hurting soul? Sometimes we don't eve realize we are hurting until someone says something that brings that pain to the surface. 

 The power of words is an amazing tool, it helps us build the relationships that grow us as people and make our lives meaningful.  We are all alone in our own minds, it's when we can communicate effectively and feel that others understand us and accept us that we attain that sense of belonging that we all innately desire.

However, it's impossible to be in relationship without being misunderstood at some point or even flat out hurt. Sometimes these painful experiences are purposeful attacks but most of the time it's unintended pricks through ignorance or insensitivity to something in your life. The trouble is that even if it's unintended there are still powerful consequences when we use words lightly.  

If I were to ask you right now to describe yourself, what words would you use? Are these your own thoughts? Or how others have described you throughout your life? Do you view yourself in a positive light or a negative one? Did you grow up with a family that affirmed you? Or one that made cutting comments? When you start to dream or make plans, do thoughts and fears leave you paralyzed? Do your own thoughts whisper that you can't succeed or stand out in whatever you want to pursue? 

When people compliment you, do you brush it off?  When others see talent in you, do you make light of it? When you see someone pursuing something that appeals to you, do you think you could never do what they are doing?  Ask yourself WHY? What ideas or insinuations about yourself have you accepted to be true?

 When I was about 5, I overheard a neighbor talking about me and how I would never amount to anything because I was a Jarvis, and as I got older I would notice things like eye rolls, or raised eyebrows that communicated the disapproval of my actions, all of these things began to form my ideas about what I was capable of, what others expected of me, and what my place was in the world.
 As I have pushed through in my own life, I have discovered that the only person who gets to decide your place in the world is YOU.

 If you take a look through out history some of the greatest accomplishments have been made by people that the world dismissed, or who conquered unimaginable difficulty to achieve greatness. In light of that, are the hurdles you have to cross really that difficult?

There is this story I heard about an elephant tied with a rope to a plastic lawn chair. When asked about it, the trainer explained that it had been tied with that rope since it was a baby and it had conditioned him to believe he could not break away.

Words can have the same effect on us. They can bind us and give us an easy out on areas of lives. Think about how this applies to you and when those thoughts or reactions arise, make a commitment to speak the truth to yourself. Choose to act on the truth and not reside in the lie. Liberate yourself from the power of those words.  You were created for great things and you can't fulfill them tied to a lawn chair! Maybe you are being held captive right now, but you are also the one holding the key.

This month has been a tough one in my journey for health and I don't have a good reason why. It wasn't a busy month of travel or company, there wasn't anything stressful or unusual happening and yet I was craving carbs and sugar more than I have in the entire last year. I wasn't indulging but I was struggling and it was exhausting!!!

I have been reading The Hunger Fix by Dr Pam Peeke and I have learned so much about sugar and food addictions and I thought it would be wise to do a detox and see if that helped me in my struggle.

First, I want to be clear that I did NOT do this to lose weight. I know I am very thin and though I did lose a little weight that wasn't my goal nor do I intend to try and keep it off. I am on a muscle building mission at this point in my life not a weight losing mission. My goal was to get my sugar addiction under control. I am including all the information I gathered in my experience to answer any questions that others may have about this detox and what they might be using it to accomplish. It IS a viable way to shed a few pounds in a healthy manner, but it also serves as a great way to reboot if you have plateaued, to rid your body of toxins, and to help gain control over cravings.

As I have been researching, I was reading about all the processed foods that we eat that are full of chemicals and nonfoods and that our body doesn't know what to do with it, so it stores in our fat cells! You may been working out like mad and yet all those toxins are just hanging out in your fat cells not budging and when you don't see results from your hard work, you give up. This is a great reason to do a detox. It gives your body a break from many of its normal duties and when you flood it with tools like a fiber sweep and simple healthy foods, and LOTS of water, you give your body the ability to flush out those toxins. It's been proven that even completely fasting from everything but water for even up to a week can be beneficial for your health so three days on a limited nutritional plan and 900 calories a day really isn't deprivation, even though it seems like it to our culture.

I've also been getting educated about sugar and how addictive it really is to our bodies. It is actually even more addictive than cocaine, if you can imagine that! It's no wonder that we can't get control over our eating when every processed food is chock full of sugar. Now that I am aware, I have been shocked at how much sugar is in everything! You know when you drink a soda that it's full of sugar but a cereal you have come to think is healthy or a condiment ,like ketchup, you don't really even look at the label. At least I didn't. 

I have been learning how to make my own everything. Seasonings for taco, mayonnaise, salad dressings, you name it! It's been pretty liberating to take control of what is going into my body. I never even questioned buying salad dressing from a store and would've had no idea how to make my own and it's really not a time consuming activity. I promise ;) As I have mentioned before, I hate cooking so if I can do it, anyone can do it!

Ok, I know you are probably tired of my lecture and ready to see my results, but I really wanted you to see my heart behind why I did this and why I would recommend it to you.

So, the 3 Day Refresh is a kit from Beachbody. It contains 3 packets of chocolate vegan Shakeology for breakfasts to be paired with a fruit of your choice from the list, 3 packets of a Fiber Sweep, 3 packets of Vanilla Refresh for lunch that is also paired  with a fruit, a veggie, and a healthy fat from the list, and 3 packets of Vanilla fresh for dinner that is served with a vegetable meal, recipes provided. There is also another veggie and healthy fat snack in the afternoon that is not paired with a shake.

I bought a ton of delicious fruits and veggies and then like I always do I fell into a rut and ate the same things everyday. I thoroughly enjoyed my choices though! My husband is doing the 3 Day Refresh right now and he promised to give you the  "true story" when he is done. ha! He cares much more about variety then I do though so his post should be more colorful ;) Here is what I ate.

Not pictured is the Vanilla Refresh shake at dinner. I know it doesn't look that amazing but the hummus tasted delicious and that vegetable medley was seasoned with coconut oil and Himalayan salt and was incredible! I should note that it does recommend light to moderate exercise, like yoga, but since I felt so tired I rested all three days instead. 

Day 1

The first day I was out the entire day and so I had to plan which is why I was using my containers in the lunch picture. I was super tired but I felt good, I wasn't hungry and actually managed to eat my lunch at Chik-fil-a with others and not be miserable. The Fiber Sweep was my least favorite activity but it wasn't bad. Around 5 pm, I started having pretty intense sugar cravings. I was pretty surprised at the intensity honestly. If I hadn't purchased the product and then told the entire world I was doing it, I might have caved. At 6 pm, I had my vegetable medley and Vanilla Refresh and it tasted so good that my sugar cravings went away. I still felt exhausted though. I'm not sure if it was the detox or just because my kids don't sleep but I went to bed at 9 pm and slept like a rock and so did my kids! 

Day 2

I woke up with a headache. I rarely drink caffeine anymore so it wasn't caffeine related. My wonderful husband took the kids out for breakfast and I drank 8 ounces of water, followed my chocolate banana shake. My headache disappeared without any meds! Day 2 I mixed my Fiber Sweep in my shaker cup. DO NOT DO THIS! It turned into a gelatinous mess and it was really hard to drink it. Trust me, and stir it with a spoon. I felt a little hungrier day 2 than I did the first day but I didn't have the intense sugar cravings. I went to bed early again.

Day 3

Day 3 was Sunday and we serve at our church's 8 am service, so we had to be out of the house by 7:30.  I didn't have a headache when I awoke and I dutifully had my chocolate banana shake while my family had donuts and though they smelled good I wasn't even tempted! ( Full disclosure, I'm not really a donut person but after 2 days with no sugar I was surprised my body wasn't screaming for one) I followed my same boring meal plan through the rest of the day and surprisingly wasn't hungry at all in the evening which is usually when my snack cravings go haywire. 

I woke up today feeling fully of energy, I seriously enjoyed my eggs and fruit and stuck to my normal 21 Day Fix plan with ease. I have been craving water all day which is unusual for me. It's not that I drink unhealthy beverages but I don't feel thirsty and I forget to drink.  I have actually put a water reminder app on my phone to help me! I feel less bloated and my stomach looks much flatter, and I see a lot more muscle definition. I lost 4 pounds. 

All in all, it was a great experience and I do feel like it's given me an edge over my sugar and carb cravings. It's also nice to know that I have a tool at my disposal to help me if I start to struggle in the future! As I mentioned above, my husband started today and I will share his experience as well later this week! 

I would recommend the 3 Day Refresh to anyone that suspects they have a food or sugar addiction that is sabotaging their attempts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I would also recommend it to anyone that wants to shed a few pounds in a healthy way. I was able to drop 4 pounds in three days without being hungry and without depriving my body. Most importantly though, I recommend it to anyone who is working really hard to lose weight and has plateaued. It may simply be that you have toxins built up in your system that need to be purged! Before you throw in the towel, flush those toxins out of your system! If you have any questions, please post them below and if you would like more info click here!

I have to confess. I haven't always looked at the girl in the mirror as my friend. I have spent lots of time staring at her, nit picking over every imperfection and spent hours try to fix the damage with make-up and dressing to cover her flaws, while muttering derogatory comments under my breath. I viewed her with disappointment and frustration as I compared her to magazine ads and celebrities.
I counted every calorie and agonized over every work out and yet no matter how much work I put in, I never transformed into one of those physically perfect people that I idolized. No amount of working out gave me symmetrical features or a clear complection. I am not sure where this took root but it consumed me and I was obsessed and miserable. And that's when I was young! If only my teenage self knew what she had!

I am now 36 and the wrinkles are starting to show, my metabolism has slowed, and since I have had babies the loss of sleep has given me permanent bags around my eyes!. My body is showing the signs of middle age and the glow of youth is gone, and yet I'm starting to see my reflection in a new light. I stare into the dark brown eyes that are looking back at me accented by crows feet and I see in her something I haven't before. I still see the imperfections and now on top of those I see wrinkles, scar, freckles, and stretch marks but I see kindness in her eyes, laugh lines from spending so much time enjoying herself and others, I see the signs of a body that has carried my babies  and I see in her "flaws" a woman who has lived!

Now that I have daughters, I know I have to change. I want them to look into the mirror and see the beautiful girls that they are instead of picking themselves apart and comparing themselves to everyone else the way that I have. However, it is I who sets the example. 

And so I take another look in the mirror and I smile back at her. I thank her for all she does for me. I thank her for the long walks, for skiing, for being the vessels that I need to have adventures and serve others, for transforming and carrying my babies, for being the physical representation of my soul. The unsymmetrical face and imperfect body are precious to those that love and they should be precious to me as well. It's funny becuase not much in my behavior has changed. I am still eating healthy and working out and yet my mentality, my internal thoughts have drastically changed. I eat healthy to care for my body and give what it needs and exercise to make my body strong and able instead of trying to change myself into something I was never meant to be. I finally see that I don't need to do those things to make myself worthy, I do things things because I AM worthy! Ladies, hear this and choose to believe it. You are worthy! You are beautiful! Look in the mirror and see what those who love you see. Put the work in, not to become something you are not but to enhance that which you already are!

Yay!! I have been waiting for this for months!! I hate to cook and I am always looking for easy recipes that work with the  Day Fix program so this is a godsend! If you'd like to get a copy you can order here --->

 http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/FixateCookbook?referringRepId=664971

Or win a copy! Head over to my instragram:
https://instagram.com/aubreykreel/


Or my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AubreyKReel?ref=hl

To win a free copy, simply tag three friends on the announcement of either social media for one entry and you can gain a second entry by sharing it on your own facebook page! Winner will be announced on Sunday! So get tagging!

We have those meals that Mom makes that take us back to childhood and make us feel that all is right with the world. My Mama's Jambalaya is one of mine! It wasn't too difficult to adjust it a little and make it 21 Day Fix approved, hallelujah! No, I won't lie! I do miss the shrimp but to be able to have this on a regular basis was actually more important to me than the shrimp! I hope you enjoy this piece of Jarvis culture as much as I do!

You will need:

1 Tbsp of olive oil
2 lbs of shredded chicken ( I usually roast a chicken or shred it in the crock pot)
1 white onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
2.5 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp of thyme
1/4 tsp of ground cayenne pepper ( I actually use 1/2-1tsp but I like it SPICY!)
12 oz of wild grain rice ( if you buy a boxed kind that has seasoning packets throw those away)


1. Heat oil in a large soup pot, add onions, peppers, celery, and garlic. Saute until soft. Stir in all the ingredients. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed-about 20 minutes.

It does taste better when you add the chicken with the rest of the ingredients but if you really want to stick to the 21 Day Fix plan, it's best to measure the chicken and add it to your bowl after the rice mixture is done. If you cook it all together there is no true way to know that you got 2/3 of a cup of chicken in your bowl! But again, I won't lie, I mix it in! ;)

Me and my Mama! :)

When I started looking into the 21 Day Fix, I was hesitant to spend the money on the program. I had bought several others and even purchased a ridiculously expensive treadmill trying to do things that had worked for others because I was desperate to make a change and honestly I had just lost faith that anything was going to work for me.  From that state of mind, I found the 21 Day Fix used and started using it without the containers, doing the best I could to follow the nutrition plan. I know I wasn't doing it perfectly but it was enough that I DID have results at the end of the first round!

Knowing I could to do better, I decided to bite the bullet and buy the program with the containers and the Shakeology.  With the containers, I was much better about sticking to my plan and tracking as well and it showed!

What I learned over the next few weeks of really studying the nutrition plan and my results was life changing for me! My overall take away was that, though I was eating healthy carbs for the most part, I was eating entirely too many. I had some sort of carb with every meal and often more as snacks. Whole wheat toast at breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, potatoes with dinner, tortilla chips and salsa as a snack ect. On top of that, I'm not a big protein fan so I was barely eating any and the ones I was eating, like beans, count as carbs on the 21 Day Fix plan! I had this layer of flesh around my midsection that I couldn't get rid of no matter what I did but when I made the slight alterations, trimming down on the carbs and seriously upping my protein intake to my diet, the fat melted away and for the first time EVER I started seeing real muscle tone!!

Therefore, the first important lesson I learned from the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan was that it is important to have the correct balance of each food category. Eating healthy food in and of itself will not give you the results you are seeking unless you eat the proper amounts!

The second thing I learned was that in using the container system to measure and then plate my food, I was being taught what a portion of each container looks like on a plate and over time its gotten to the point that even eating a restaurant, I am able to visualize how much of what I have been served should be eaten and how much should be left on the plate or taken home for later. 

In the beginning, I was concerned because I couldn't imagine a world in which I didn't have toast with my eggs. And I took one look at that yellow container and I knew I would never be able to stick to that small portion of pasta. It became clear that I was going to have to be very strategic about my food intake and so I started making lists.

The first list I recommend making is a list of your minimum requirements in relation to food. I would spend some time thinking about what's nonnegotiable to you. Personally, I need hot meals, as few salads as possible, minimize the amount of meat I have to eat, variety of fruits, and so on. I have friend who is doing the program with me right now who laughed at my list because she prefers cold meals and wants to avoid cooking at all costs. I can eat the same foods day in and day out but my husband needs a serious variety to stay on this plan. The nutrition plan still works for all of us, but we had to figure out how to make it sustainable for us as individuals within the boundaries of the plan. 

I realized that there are certain foods that I just cant eat without craving other foods. For instance, I had to switch from fried eggs over easy to scrambled ( my second favorite) because I can't eat over easy eggs without toast, but I found it very easy to eat scrambled eggs without toast and I also found it very easy to mix yummy veggies in with scrambled eggs! Win-Win!

I also found that I need a carb for lunch. I do not feel content at lunch without something substantial and so I learned to plan that into my lunches so I don't get tempted to eat sugar and snacky food in the afternoon. I also strategically put my Shakeology between the hours of 2-4 pm because that is when I crave sweets. Anyway, you get the idea! Study yourself, your patterns, and your cravings and make adjustments accordingly! 

Next I made individual lists for each container of foods that I thought my family could live with long term. This doesn't mean I don't mix it up ever but it does mean filling my weekly grocery cart with things that aren't going to go straight into the trash because my husband and kids won't eat it. Mine look like this:

Green Veggie container:
Asparagus
Baby carrots
Bell Peppers ( occasionally)
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Romaine Lettuce
Spaghetti Squash
Spinach
Zucchini

These are the veggies that my family will eat without objection and that I can depend on to plan meals around. We add new ones in from time to time to test and try but this is our standard veggie menu.

Purple Fruit container:
Apples all varieties
Bananas
Blueberries
Canteloupe ( occasionally)
Clementines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon ( occasionally)

Red Protein Container:
Chicken
Deli Lunch Meat ( Boars head)
Eggs
Fish ( Mahi Mahi, Grouper, Salmon)
Ground Beef
Ground Turkey
Pork Tenderloin
Shakeology
Steak
Tuna, Canned
Veggie burger

Since I am not a big meat eater, I have upped my protein every day by eating eggs every morning, canned tuna and veggie burgers help break up my lunches, one of my proteins is Shakeology everyday which is very helpful, and then I can have fish several times a week as well so I have really managed to cut down on eating meat while still staying in the boundaries of the nutrition plan. 

The Magic Golden Carb Container:
Pita
Wildrice
Whole wheat bun/bread
Ezekial bread
Quinoa ( occasionally)
Couscous ( occasionally)
Pancakes, whole grain, (occasionally)
Tortilla, whole wheat
Tortilla, corn 2 small

I'll explain why it's magical in a minute! I was most surprised by my container choices here. Since I am on the lowest calorie bracket of the 21 Day Fix plan, I only get two servings of carbs a day. It was  like looking at a budget for the first time! I was forced to make decisions that would help me stay on this plan long term and I was surprised at what I chose. My usual suspects for carbs were English muffins, toast, bagels, Tortilla chips, potatoes, but on this plan, you get half an English muffin, half a bagel, one slice of toast, just a few chips, or half a potato. I found that I was more satisfied by a pita than half an English muffin, and I was able to enjoy one serving of wild rice more than I was half a potato. I enjoyed a wheat wrap with my lunch more than half a wheat bagel at breakfast. So as you are making your lists, really think about what will be more enjoyable to you rather than drifting to healthier versions of what you have always eaten. You may find it stretches your calorie budget further to choose some other options!
 And now for the magical part! You can trade in one of your yellow containers 3 times a week for treats! Chocolate, wine, fruit juice, and a variety of other assorted treats listed in the plan! This is real life training! You want to learn to enjoy things in moderation. You can't live in a bubble where you never eat a slice of pizza or have a cupcake at a birthday party. If you try to live off a super strict diet long term, most people will crash and burn and it will look something like this!

The 21 Day Fix nutrition plan gives you enough leeway to enjoy your life and learn restraint. As simple as it all is, I am still blown away by the effectiveness! It's a game changer, people!

Blue Healthy Fats Container:
Avocado
Cheeses ( Parmesan,Feta,Cheddar)
Hummus
Nuts

I know a lot of people adore this container but I find it's the one I most often have left over if I am not careful. I adore avocados but I have a hard time eating only a quarter of one! The cheese does absolutely make some of my favorite meals though and so I am deeply grateful for the blue container!

Orange:
Olives
21 Day Fix approved dressings

I am not a big fan of seeds so we mostly use this one for olives or salad dressing

As you sit down to evaluate what is important to you and what will work for your family also keep in mind that you can alter dishes that you have always served  to make them 21 Day Fix approved. I make a modified version of my Mama's jambalaya that keeps me on the straight and narrow! Don't toss everything out the window, see what you can do to create healthier versions of your favorite meals! Here are some of mine! It's been so encouraging to learn that you can stick to a nutrition plan and still LOVE the food you're eating!

The 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack is on sale at it's lowest price this month and I am offering a $15 target gift card to the first 5 people to sign up by July 13th for my next challenge group! If you are ready to take control of your weight, nutrition, and over all health, join us this month! If you'd like more info you can email me at [email protected] or comment below!