Chocolate Almond Protein Bars

Chocolate almond protein bars are one of our most requested recipes from our Maximized Living Nutrition Plans (MLNP) book and a crowd pleaser! These no bake, quality protein, high-fiber bars are a cinch to make and perfect for weight-loss.

Watch and follow along as MLNP co-author Dr. B.J. Hardick prepares this recipe in the following video. Recipe is included below.

INGREDIENTS

Base
2 cups almond flour
1 cup ground flax seed meal
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
3 scoops of chocolate NaturePro Whey Protein
½ cup of xylitol (or ¾ tsp pure powder stevia)
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup organic butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
½ tsp pure vanilla

Chocolate Topping
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of organic butter
¼ cup of xylitol (or ¼ tsp of pure liquid stevia)
 

1. Place almonds meal, flax meal, shredded coconut, Nature Pro and xylitol (stevia) in a food processor.
2. Pulse until ground into meal
3. In a double boiler melt coconut oil, butter and 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate.
4. Once melted add vanilla to melted chocolate/coconut mixture.
5. Mix liquid chocolate with dry ingredients in a bowl until turns into a paste
6. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
7. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens.
8. In a double boiler, heat butter and coconut oil until liquid.
9. Add xylitol (stevia) and heat and stir until dissolved
10. Add 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate.  Stir until melted.
11. Pour melted chocolate over pressed mixture in glass dish.  Return to refrigerator for at least until chocolate hardens.
12. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve. (If chocolate cracks when cutting, let soften for 10 minutes first)

Keep refrigerated.  These also freeze well.

Accessing Your Fountain Of Youth

Would You Rather Be On A Cruise Ship or Nursing Home? Learn how to access your fountain of youth and regain your health through Maximized Living's 5 Essentials.

Our Next Maximized Living Makeover is coming up on October 8th, 2011 in the U.S. and October 15th, 2011 in Canada. Visit our website for more information on how to attend this life changing event! http://www.maximizedlivingmakeover.com/

Are You Ordinary or Exceptional ?

In his book, Love, Medicine and Miracles, Bernie Siegel, M.D., an oncology surgeon, says there are two types of patients:  Ordinary Patients and Exceptional Patients.  Ordinary patients are just that- ordinary.  They accepted their diagnosis and “do almost anything rather than alter their lives to increase their chances for a cure.”  Ordinary patients see their disease from the viewpoint of a victim.  Ordinary patients seldom see good results or recover from illness.

At the other end of the spectrum there are Exceptional Patients.(more)

Analgesic Pain Relievers Kill More Than Pain

For years now, the public and their doctors have viewed over the counter pain relievers as a safe solution to discomfort, cold symptoms, and various types of illness.  The facts, however, consistently reveal that these medications are far from being safe or even effective long term. (more)

Exercise of the Week: Shoulder Circles

Pink Ribbons

Being that October is "breast cancer awareness month", I thought this article was a very interesting read.
The Pink Fraud

Vaccine Madness

Five years ago, Gardasil debuted as a vaccine that can help prevent against HPV (Human Papillomavirus) that can lead to cervical cancer and sold over $1.1 billion in its first nine months on the market. Now, with sales going down (ONLY $212 million today) people are beginning to become more educated or are seeing just how dangerous this vaccine really is. (more)

Healthy Lifestyle Triggers Genetic Changes: Study

Bad Genes?  Do Something About It: Welcome to Epi-Genetics

WASHINGTON - Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, U.S. researchers say.

In a study conducted by Dean Ornish, M.D., the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation. The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including diet, moderate exercise and an hour of daily stress management methods. (more)

Vegetable Beef Soup

Do you have any extra veggies around your kitchen? This quick and simple soup recipe will help you use them up..and heat you up as we enter into fall!

Ingredients
1 lb grass fed ground beef
2- 32 oz containers of organic vegetable broth
2 tbsp butter
5 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 – 1 tsp italian seasoning (to taste)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
sea salt to taste (about 2 tsp)
2 tomatoes (preferably blanched and peeled – check notes below)
1 bunch spinach, coarsely chopped

Optional for core plan:  carrots, peas

Melt butter in a stockpot and add celery, onions, and ground beef.  When beef is browned through, add the vegetable broth, italian seasoning, black pepper, sea salt and tomatoes.  Let cook for about 10-15 minutes.  Add spinach.  Serve.

Additional notes/suggestions: 

To blanch and peel tomatoes just boil a pot of water and drop the tomatoes in for a few minutes.  When you see the skins begin to split apart, remove them from the water.  Then they are very easy to peel.  Once peeled, cut the tomato in half and remove as many seeds as possible then chop.

This soup is even better re-heated the next day.

Keep grass fed ground beef (in 1 lb packages) in your freezer. You can use the beef from frozen in this recipe which is great for an impromptu meal.

Deadly Pinched Nerve

By Dr. Brandon Vinzant

If any of you are sports fans as I am, you couldn’t have gone very long without recently hearing about Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts quarterback, and the problems he has been having with his neck and throwing arm. CNN reported that Manning had been suffering from a pinched nerve which caused him neck pain and weakness in his arm and hand. Manning has had two previous surgeries that appeared to be unsuccessful for this same condition. ¹ This time, the surgeons hoped that his THIRD surgery will be the successful one. Manning had a procedure called a single level anterior fusion. That involves making an incision at the front of the neck. The disc is removed from the nerve and spinal cord. The surgeon then fills the open disc space with a bone graft. The graft acts as a bridge between the two vertebrae, creating a spinal fusion. Metal plates and screws are often used to hold the bone graft and vertebrae together. (more)

Do I Really Have To Buy Organic? It's So Expensive!

By Kimberly Roberto, Author of Maximized Living Nutrition Plans

A common objection many people have at the thought of buying organic products is the price tag. While it is true that the costs of organic products are indeed higher, it is important to point out that there are longer term consequences and hard costs associated with buying and eating the less expensive, conventional food products. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with toxins, chemicals, and food that is far from what nature intended. For that reason, attention must be paid to the quality of the food we are consuming. The first step to making any nutritional changes is to cut out the unhealthy foods and replace them with whole, natural, healthy foods. Eliminating the man-made, processed foods from the shopping cart, frees up dollars to put towards organic foods.  (more)

Breadless Swedish Meatballs

Recipe supplied by Kimberly Roberto, co-author of Maximized Living Nutrition Plans

This kid and crowd-pleasing recipe will bring you back to your childhood years! An all-time favorite that is easy to make ahead, freeze and reheat later. Enough said!

Ingredients

2lb grass-fed ground beef
1 organic egg
1 organic egg yolk
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 large onion, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (hint:  keep them in the freezer and grate them with a microplane)

Mix all ingredients well and shape into 1"″ balls. Fry in batches (don’t crowd the pan) in a non-toxic skillet until almost cooked through. After all batches are browned, transfer them all back into the skillet. Add 1 cup (or more if desired) of organic chicken broth. Finish cooking and serve warm.

• To freeze, line a large ziploc bag with parchment paper and place meatballs inside. 
• To re-heat, let thaw slightlyand transfer to a skillet to reheat. 
• You can add additional organic stock if it is not “saucy” enough or to keep the meatballs from drying out.

Workout of the Week

By Dr. Brandon Vinzant
  
USA Today also reports that people who are sleep-deprived eat close to 300 calories a day more than they do when they are well-rested, with ice cream being the food of choice when tired. ^1 (more)

Is Your Immune System Stronger Than The Bugs?

Building a strong immune system is one of the most vital aspects to living an abundant life free of sickness and disease.  The medical model tells us that germs cause sickness and disease. The body does have limitations, however if the germ theory of illness were true, there’d be no one alive to believe it.  Bugs are everywhere, you can’t avoid them.  Thankfully, these non-seeable invaders cannot survive in a healthy body that has an immune system functioning at a high level. Bacteria, virus, parasites and any other “germs” cannot take over a body with a strong immune system capable of managing foreign intruders.(more)