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What's in store for today:

• My Super Quick High Protein Pasta Hack...
• My Favorite Salty Crunchy Snack...

Hey friend,

Last night I wrapped up a fun little 3 day fast. 

I used to really enjoy doing fasts like this every 2-3 months a few years ago and for one reason or another...probably just the busy-ness of life with kids...I got away from doing them. 

That is until a church friend extended an invite to accompany him and some other men from our church on a 3 day fast, replacing meals with prayer and Bible time.  

Honestly, it was an amazing experience and one that I will likely go back to repeating every 2-3 months again.  

Not at all because of any physical or weight loss related impacts, but for what it did for me mentally.  

I found that since my normal eating patterns were disrupted for 2-3 days I really appreciated the open mental space without food taking up as much of that mental space.  

It was a nice little break and excellent time for reflection.  

I'm back to eating now, but interestingly, food and eating feels much less essential and urgent than it did just 3 days ago.  

And that's pretty cool.  Ok!  On to your Feel Good Friday...

My Super Simple High Protein Meal Hack

I LOVE to cook, but some days between work, three kids, two dogs, a cat, a house, and the rest of life's beautiful chaos I find myself longing for a tasty meal without the time and effort required to cook a typical meal.  

On those days my brain just wants something fast and simple, but also very tasty.

This week, as I was coaching a client who was also finding themselves in the same situation, I recommended something that I ultimately tried for myself and...well...it was really good!

I'm calling it my new Super Simple High Protein Meal Hack.

It only takes 2-3 ingredients and maybe 3-5 minutes, but tastes like it took way longer and more ingredients to make.  

Here's the hack in 3 steps...

1. Search the grocery store freezer aisle for a "healthy" microwave meal that is under 300 calories and has at least 20-25 grams of protein in it.  Throw it in the microwave as per the instructions.  
2. Pair it with 3-4 oz. of additional shrimp or chicken to add a bit of extra protein.  You can use raw chicken or shrimp and just quickly season with a bit of salt or your favorite seasoning, or you can buy precooked shrimp or chicken from the freezer aisle and not even mess with cooking.  Both work.  
3. Mix it together and enjoy.

Yeah, that's it.  

The microwave meal already tastes great and usually will have some combination of protein, veggies, and either pasta or rice in most cases.  Plus some kind of tasty sauce. 

And your added protein just adds extra protein and volume to the meal.

But it takes just a few quick minutes and the simplicity of this hack compared to the flavor payoff is really nice.  

The goal is to keep it under 400 calories total with a minimum of 35g protein total, but the more protein as you can pack into that 400 calories the better.  

Here are 3 microwave meals that work great as a base:

• Kevin's Parmesan Basil Chicken Bowl
• Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
• Kevin's Korean Style BBQ Bowl

And here are great options for protein additions:

• Shrimp - Raw Shrimp or Cooked Shrimp
• Pre-Cooked Chicken - Tyson Diced Chicken, John Soule's Grilled Chicken - Marketplace Grilled Chicken Breasts

Try it for yourself and you'll have a super simple and quick option for those days that simple and quick is exactly what you need.  

My Favorite Salty Crunchy Protein Snack 

There are a lot of great salty crunchy snacks on the market including Quest Chips and Legendary Protein Popped Chips, but roasted edamame is quickly making a name for itself as a new favorite.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see Costco carrying both of these Roasted Edamame brands when I was there last week.  

Both of these come in at around 50% protein or a little higher and are a nice "nutty" protein snack for those that are looking for something to snack on that would be a low calorie and high protein replacement for snacking on actual nuts, which are super high fat / high calorie.  

You can't go wrong with either of these.  

I'm particularly a fan of The Only Bean. 

They have a few other flavors as well such as Buffalo, Wasabi, Ranch, and Sriracha, which are slightly higher calorie than the Sea Salt flavor, but not horribly so.

These make a great snack at 1/3 cup for only 120-130 calories, so you can easily have 1/2 cup and still be under 200 calories, which is our recommended max calorie range for a protein snack.  

They are also VERY competively priced compared to protein chips.  A typical bag of protein chips will run between $2.50 to $3.50 per bag, but these come in at $1 or less per serving.  

Highly recommend giving these a try, I think you'll like them.  

Client Win Of The Week:

Kim Is Down 42 Pounds And Counting 💪🏻

"Happy on the outside, sad on the inside."

If you've ever smiled through a moment you actually wanted to escape — you'll understand exactly where Kim was when she started Healthy & Whole last August.

She felt out of breath climbing stairs. She dreaded sitting in a restaurant booth, getting up from a chair, being in any photo. She felt wobbly just walking. She didn't feel worthy of being included in family moments — let alone being a priority in her own life.

On the outside, she had it together. On the inside, she felt out of control, ashamed, and angry at herself for letting things get this far.

What changed wasn't a diet. It was a decision — to stop trying to do it alone.

Kim had an honest moment with herself and asked for help. She needed someone to teach her the right approach, hold her accountable when she wouldn't hold herself, and believe in her capability before she could see it herself.

And then life kept happening — cold winter months, holiday temptations, stretches of self-doubt that would have normally sent her back to square one. But this time, she had coaches and a community of women who understood her struggles personally. None of it stopped her.

Where Kim is today: → 42 pounds down and well past the halfway point to her goal → Navigated a full holiday season without derailing → Moving through self-doubt instead of quitting because of it → No longer doing this alone

She's not at the finish line yet — but she can see it. And the woman walking toward it looks a lot different than the one who started.

Ready to start your journey? 

Here's how I can help...

If you're feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with your body and health, I know how you feel.   Apply for coaching here with Healthy & Whole, I'll work with you to find the perfect support level for you in our program that fits your needs and your budget.  We have options starting as low as $39.99 per month 💪🏻

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.