Start Small

When making big changes in your life it can seem overwhelming at times, especially something likemaking the change to clean eating.  A total overhaul all at once can be tough, so start out small, like making substitutions on current foods that you eat.

Here is a list of clean substitutions for common foods:

Get Rid of It ------------------------------------------------> Switch To

Ground Beef                                                                   Ground chicken, turkey, bison, buffalo
Pastry, cake, cookies, candy                              Fresh fruit; non-fat unsweetened yogurts
Eggs                                                                                 Egg whites
Chicken wings, ribs, hot dogs                                     Turkey or chicken breast
Whole milk, cream, half and half                                 Skim milk, soy milk, almond milk
Cheese; cheese products                                             Low fat cheese, cottage cheese, goat cheese
Full-fat yogurt; sweetened yogurts                           Low or non-fat yogurt; unsweetened yogurt
Cream soups, chowders, gravy                                  Clear soups, broth based soups, broth
Chips, nachos, crackers                                               Unsalted nuts; unsalted air popped popcorn
Processed deli meats                                                    Sliced chicken or turkey breast
Breads                                                                             Flat bread, pita, wrap, Ezekiel bread
Sugar loaded cereals                                                    Muesli, whole grains,shredded wheat
Cooking oils, lard, butter                                             Non-fat cooking sprays, unsaturated oils
Dressings                                                                       Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar
White rice                                                                       Brown, black or mahogany rice.


Again, you can always start off small and start incorporating these into your life a few at a time. 

Portion Control

Portion control can be one of the toughest challenges when trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  Many of us eat VERY unbalanced diets, focusing on the wrong types and amounts of food.

Here are some tips to make portion control a little easier:

1.) Pay attention to serving sizes, and then measure out EXACTLY what you are going to eat.  Measuring cups and measuring spoons will become your best friend.  A food scale is also a great thing to have, as it really helps in weighing out those meat portions.  You can also have the butcher at your grocery store or meat shop weigh your meat out in the portions you would like, and that way they are all ready for you at meal time.

2.) Try eating on a smaller plate.  From a visual standpoint, it will seem like you are getting to eat more, or at least just as much as before.

3.) Before putting food on your plate, divide the plate in 1/2. Fruits and veggies on one 1/2 and the the other 1/2 should be equally divided between your proteins and grains.
    (Note: Complex carbs like whole grains take longer for the body to break down, are typically healthier,
     and make you feel fuller, longer.)

4.) Drink a glass of water before every meal.

5.) Fill up on veggies and fruit first when you are eating.  They make you feel full and really get your digestive system working.
    (Tip: Try adding a small salad to your dinner each evening and eat it first...you will be surprised how you  
     start to feel full in the middle of your meal.)

6.) For snacks, snack size Ziploc bags and small food storage containers are great for keeping snacks in...again they are visually appealing AND great to just grab and go.

Portion control and good food choices are truly the key to healthy eating.  These tips have been so helpful to me, hope you find them helpful too!

Clean Eating...It's a Lifestyle NOT a Diet

Clean eating focuses on eating food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible.  The purpose of food is to nourish and fuel our bodies and minds.

Tips for Clean Eating:

• Eat 5-6 times a day
• 3 meals and 2-3 small snacks
• Lean protein, fresh fruits and veggies, and a complex carb should be a part of every meal
• Don't limit yourself; eat a variety of colorful foods
• Dark green, blue, red, yellow, orange, and white veggies deliver an array of phytochemicals which are important for strong immunity.
• Drink at least 2 liters of water a day
• Tip for water: try to drink 1/2 your body weight in oz. of water a day
• Avoid refined and processed foods
• Stay away from sugar, white bread, and white flour
• Replace these with complex carbs like whole grains
• Learn to Read Labels
• Clean foods typically consist of 1-2 ingredients
• Good rule of thumb, if you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't eat it
• Avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats or foods high in sugar
• Instead try to have essential fatty acids (EFA's) everyday
• These include foods like fish (salmon, fresh tuna, trout, etc...), flaxseed, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc...
• Learn about portion control
• Stick to serving sizes
• Eat on a smaller plate
• Fill up on fruits and veggies first
• Choose organic when possible
• This can get expensive, so prioritize and make meat, eggs and dairy your first organic choices.
• Check out you local farmers markets for fresh, locally grown produce. You can really stretch your money shopping this way.

A New Challenge

So, I just received my newest workout program, Focus T25.  I am so excited to start this with the challenge group I'm a part of on July 8th.  I was so excited I just couldn't wait and had to test it out a couple of days ago.  The whole idea behind this program is to get a great work out in 25 minutes, 5 days a week.  So many of us, myself included, have probably used the excuse that we just don't have time to work out.  This program totally eliminates that!  Its fun, its fast, and it really makes you get your sweat on. One thing I really liked about it was while most people on the DVD are doing the regular workout, they have one person doing a modified workout.  I think this is great because its SO important to remember that we are all at different places in our journeys and that we all have different abilities levels.
In addition to my new workout program, I also got the newest flavor of Shakeology, Vanilla.  It is fantastic!!!!  So often, I have to tried different things that just taste a little too artificial or are too thick...this is neither.  Probably one of the best tasting powders out there and offers so much more than the typical protein powder since it's packed with some many nutrients and vitamins.  Plus it really helps with my digestive system and helps control my appetite, which seems to be in overdrive these after doing Insanity.  I made a new shake that might be in my top favorites : Dark chocolate almond milk, Vanilla Shakeology, and a banana.  Might have to try it w/ a little peanut butter next time.  The possibilities are endless :-)

INSANITY...Month 1 Round 2 Complete

Round 2 Month 1 of Insanity Complete. I've got to say, it sure felt good to finish this.  And unlike last time I'm not dreading what's next :-)  This week started the "in between week", as I call it, from Month 1 and Month 2, and this week its the same work out everyday, Core Cardio & Balance.  Sadly, I'm having to take this week off altogether.  As I posted previously, I had a major gallbladder issue a couple weeks ago, and it resulted in having surgery yesterday to have it removed.  So....I'm trying to be a good patient and follow my restrictions, but boy is it a little challenging.
Instead of focusing on what I "can't" do this week, I'm choosing to focus on what I can do.  My big goal for the week is to work hard on meal planning.  I'm trying to really get clean eating fully incorporated into my life.  I feel like I do a pretty good job of it, but there is always room for improvement.  I have found things like food prep and meal planning have been a huge part in being successful in changing my eating habits.  If you know ahead of time what you are going to eat, it decreases the chances of making an unhealthy choice once hunger has taken over.
The things I've found to help me be successful in my eating habits:

1.) Weekly Meal Planning- this includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  You can write it down, print it out, or even use a weekly meal planning calendar.

2.) Weekly Shopping List- once you've created your meals for the week, compile a list of everything you will need to get at the store.

3.) Food prep- chop, dice, separate, etc...everything that you can so that when it comes time to actually make the meals you can just grab and go. Use things like quart or freezer size plastic bags, storage containers (multiple sizes), and plastic snack size bags. It seems like a lot to do all at once, but it is EXTREMELY time saving.

All the small changes and small steps that you make help to create long term habits.  Remember, it's a work in progress.

Chicken Sweet Potato Hash

So, I've been trying to find foods that are easy on my body to digest.  Last night we had breakfast for dinner and I tried out this new recipe as part of it.

Chicken Sweet Potato Hash
8 oz. chicken breast (diced)
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 sweet potato (diced)
1/2 small red onion (diced)
1 green pepper (diced)
Dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Add oil to pan, add sweet potato, onion, green pepper and spices...cook until sweet potatoes start to brown a little.  Add the chicken to the pan and continue to cook until chicken is done (apprx. 8-10 mins) and the veggies are soft.

*I made a double batch because I knew I would want left overs, and this is a perfect dish to back up and freeze to use at a later time.  Great as a side for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Nutrition Info:  271 calories; 9g fat; 172mg sodium; 18 carbs; 4g fiber; 6g sugar; 28g protein; 3mg iron

Paired this with scrambled egg whites topped w/ diced tomato, parsely and a tiny bit of crumbled turkey bacon and fresh fruit (I chose green grapes and fresh sliced strawberries)

Importance of Protein...are you getting enough?

  Protein is so important to our bodies, not only our muscles, but protein plays an important role in our energy level, hormone balance, immunity, and enzyme levels. Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle repair, or just to add more protein to your diets there are several different forms of protein that we can incorporate in our diets, especially pre-workout and post workout.  It is important to remember that women require less protein per serving than men, so make sure you are watching your portions and read labels, so that you are incorporating what's right for your body.
  There has been a big surge in the use of protein powders, and to be honest I'm pretty new to the whole protein powder thing, so I thought I'd break it down.  The most popular protein on the market these days seems to be whey protein,  This may be the best powder for women looking to lose weight.  Whey powders contain high levels of BCCA's, which are basically the building blocks for our muscles.  The more muscles you build, the more calories you will end up burning, which will help in the area of weight loss.
  Another type of protein great for women's weight loss is soy protein.  This is a great choice because soy protein has fat-free properties.  In addition to that, soy protein also helps in supporting our immune system and also helps our bodies maintain healthy cholesterol levels.  However, a drawback to soy protein is that that the body doesn't absorb it as easily as it does whey protein.
 Casein protein powder is also another option.  Casein protein is considered a slow digesting protein and it releases amino acids over a longer period of time.  It it fairly common that women who choose to use casein protein powder opt to use it at night time, which allows the protein to repair and rebuild muscle during sleep.
  Another wonderful powder based product that should be incorporated into everyone's diet is Shakeology.  This is a product that is sold through Beachbody.  This powder does so much more for you than protein powder alone.  It is packed with 70 natural ingredients, which included essential nutrients and vitamins from the fruits and veggies that we should all be eating daily.  Shakeology has so much to offer from supporting healthy digestion, immunity, and cardiovascular health, to weight loss and curbing those cravings for sugar and junk food.  Not only does this product offer so many great health benefits, but the taste is absolutely AMAZING.  Probably the best tasting powder I have ever tried.
  There are other ways to incorporate protein or extra protein into your diet aside from powders. Protein is especially important pre-workout and post workout as it fuels our bodies and our muscles. A great post work out snack includes both smart protein and carb combos.  This helps refuel the body post workout as well as aide our muscles.  Here are some tasty and quick options:

Yogurt and Fresh Berries
Greek Yougurt and 1/2 cup fresh berries

Peanut Butter and Bananas on Rice Cakes
1/2 banana
1 tblspn peanut butter
2 brown rice cakes
*I'm personally not a big fan of rice cakes, so alternative would be to use 1/2 a piece of multi-grain flat bread

Tuna on Whole Wheat
1 slice whole wheat bread
4oz. water packed tuna

Classic Milk and Cereal
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup whole grain cereal

Some smoothie/shake ideas:

Protein Shake w/ Bananas
1-2 scoops protein powder
1/2 banana
combine w/ soy or almond milk and blend

Sweet Potatoe Pie Shake
1 scoop cinnamon flavored protein
1/4 cup diced, cooked sweet potato
1 cup ice
1 cup vanilla or soy almond milk

Green Monster Smoothie
4 cups spinach
1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk
1 banana
1 tblspn peanut butter
ice

Protein is so important to our bodies.  Make sure you are getting enough in your diet!