Buzz Worthy
High Protein Meal Plan Made Easy
For those always on the go and typically exhausted by end of day, making meals that are quick to throw together, healthy, and satisfy everyone’s taste buds can seem a tall feat. It all starts with the right ingredients. It takes a lot of label reading initially but once you find your staples, you can get in and out of the grocery store in a flash…less having to shop at 3 seperate stores for specific needs. This menu keeps macros balanced and highlights staple groceries needed, including links to must have products – the tasty kind, without artificial ingredients or preservatives.
Breakfast
*Mix things up and keep the following staple ingredients in rotation.
Eggs
Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage
Fagé 2% Greek yogurt (I add honey to cut the bitterness) Avocado
Mixed berries / apples (Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, green)
No added sugar granola
All-natural sourdough bread (look for 3 ingredient or make your own).
Thin sliced Chicken Breast – Central Market or Bell and Evans for the best air chilled tender chicken! Prep for easy use
Old Fashioned Oats (5 minute cook time)
Honey
Lunch
*Protein bowls for lunch with 30g protein and around 10g fiber, for the win. They are super easy and a nice mix of flavors together.
Sweet potatoes (bake a few at a time, cut in quarters, skin side up –olive oil and sea salt- at 400* for 30 min) Avocado
Broccolini, Green Beans
Barley & Lentils – 90 second heated bag Toasted nuts – cashews, pistachios, brazil
Apples (optional for crunch)
Light Soy sauce, chili paste, champagne vinaigrette, balsamic, whatever you fancy
Rise and puff gourmet tortillas
Homemade einkorn flatbread
Dinner
*4og protein and either chicken, lean beef or fish/shellfish
Chicken bowls, Baked fish or Beef patties, or taco bowls with favorite fixings added in. The sourdough bread or rise and puff tortillas work great if you are wanting/needing extra carbs.
Skinless Chicken breasts or thighs
Deveined shrimp or coconut shrimp (frozen)
93/7 lean grass-fed beef
Oranges
Cucumbers/greens
Rice – coconut, brown or jasmine Preferred condiments, as needed
*Links to recipes
Red Lentil Dahl and Roasted Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
Where’s the Pamphlet?
A Uterine Septum is often only discovered after several unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy. While some women carry to term with this abnormality, many experience failed implantation, miscarriages, or preterm labor among other concerns. Though a septate uterus is rare, occuring in 4% of women, it accounts for up to 90% of uterine birth defects.
In a normal uterus, two ducts, called mullerian ducts, fuse and become one before birth. A septate occurs when these ducts fail to fuse, creating a tissue down the middle of the uterus (a septate), splitting the uterus into two parts.
This is where my story comes in. After many failed attempts at seeing two lines on my monthly pregnancy tests, I decided to seek out a fertility specialist. Knowing what I would come to find out, I wish I had sought fertility care sooner. I had been seeing a specialist at my previous OBGYN who had ruled out everything she thought possible. Problem was, she was medicating me with everything under the sun and not addressing the root cause. When I told her I had painful periods and cysts, she diagnosed hashimoto’s and put me on thyroid medication. The medication made my body go into overdrive, causing my labs and TPO antibodies to rise tremendously and I started experiencing anxiety and rapid heart rate. She then switched me from synthroid to natural hormones, to no alleviation. From there she added in metformin and that caused a slew of added issues, including moon face and further body disruption. When these medications did not produce a positive outcome, Clomid was added. Anyone who has taken this fertility med knows how disruptive it can be on the body and mind. I became very irritable and the side effects were not kind to my body. None of these medications produced an outcome of pregnancy. Instead of investigating inside my uterus, I was told to continue with meds along with a plethora of – their brand – vitamins on top of my cocktail of drugs. Ultimately, I decided to stop taking everything and give my body a break. It took more than a year to look and feel back to my normal self again. After this time off, I sought out a fertility specialist who, knowing all my prior steps taken, decided a hysteroscopy of my uterus was the best next step.
A hysteroscopy will rule out a septate and the lining can be removed during the procedure, via a metroplasty. When performed, women go on to have successful pregnancies. The problem is many women are unaware of this possible abnormality and often have been through the gamut prescribed drug treatments to help achieve pregnancy , as a septate can pose common symptoms apparent in women with low egg count, pcos, and thyroid issues.
If any of this resonates, it may be time to ask your obgyn about the possibility of a uterine septum.
Eye Catching Benefits of Konjac Root
No, These Aren’t Gouged Eyeballs
One of only 6 ingredients in my daily collagen-protein fuel, I took a research dip to seek more info on the wondrous konjac root.
BENEFITS ABOUND
DIGESTIVE AID – Konjac is highly water soluble, a gem for sensitive systems, aiding in reducing constipation and avoiding the dreaded hemmies.
IMMUNITY BOOSTER – Thanks to built in antioxidants and antibacterial properties, konjac may help keep seasonal colds and flu at bay.
HEALTHY GLOWING SKIN – Sensitive skin sufferers unite! A 2013 study showed inherent glucomannan hydrolysates (GMH) of Konjac promote wound healing and reduction of acne.
LDL REDUCTION – If you are trying to keep your bad cholesterol in check konjac can help here, too. Check out this analysis on ldl reduction and added impacts of lower blood sugar and reduced weight.
FLAVORLESS – Konjac root won’t add to or change the flavor of anything it’s used in, unlike some root plants that can be quite distinctive and overpowering.
Konjac is sold in many forms… a flour substitute, noodles, capsules, tablets. It can also be found as a supplement to other health foods such as protein powders. I take a scoop in my morning coffee or blend it into my green smoothies. Whichever way it’s taken, it’s a healthy addition to a daily routine with a slew of benefits to be felt and seen.
CRUMBS 