Eating Clean

So, I started eating clean on Monday. Sunday, I planned my meals using Tosca Reno's books (Breakfasts, Snacks, Lunches, and Dinners) and set out to the grocery store for my loot. After getting home and stocking my cabinets and refrigerator with wonderful eat clean foods, I prepared lunches and snacks ahead of time so that when the time came, and I was hungry, I was not frantically searching for something to eat. When I'm frantically hungry, I usually grab the easiest, most processed food. Then, what usually transpires after that event is I am on a vicious cycle of binge eating.

I am thrilled to report that I've had no problem whatsoever sticking with this plan. The fact that it's real food, not diet food, and you eat 6 times a day, makes it very very easy to enjoy.

There are fantastic recipes in all of Tosca's books, and for those on a budget, there are great things you can do to enjoy the plan and stick to your budget. Let's face it, produce is expensive and especially when you are trying to buy more organic produce and meats etc. Pick a couple of new dinner recipes that may require a few more ingredients, and double the recipe and freeze some for next week. Then make some old standbys like spaghetti and swap your white pasta for whole wheat or whole grain. Tosca has a recipe for spaghetti sauce that is fairly inexpensive to make, but if you find yourself in a pinch, check labels. Look for a sauce that is low in sugar, and with minimal ingredients on the list that you can't read. SUGAR RULE: try to keep sugars under 5 grams per meal, and if you are checking labels, do your best to keep it as low as possible. Buy frozen veggies, they are the next best choice to fresh, but are less expensive. Just make sure they don't have a lot of extra "fluff" in the ingredients…like added things for flavor (msg, etc).

Below are the things I prepared ahead of time for my week:

Chicken Fajitas: cut up 2 large chicken breasts, cut up a red and yellow pepper and a yellow onion. Add a tiny bit of olive oil into a non-stick pan (Olive Oil and Coconut Oils are the best, healthiest options…steer clear of Vegetable and Canola Oils) and saute with chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher or sea salt, and curry powder. Season to taste. Cook until chicken is cooked through. I separated these into 3 BPA Free Gladware containers (keeping chicken about 5 ounces for each container, about palm sized) Right there I had 3 meals.

Sesame Chicken: cut up 2 large chicken breasts, and season a non-stick pan with a little sesame oil and lite soy sauce or braggs amino acids. I added some zucchini, but ideally, the more colorful the dish, the more delicious. Add lots of veggies, you can do water chestnuts as well. Think of an asian dish and go for veggies that sound appealing to you (sugar snap peas etc). You can toast a Tbs of sesame seeds in your toaster oven and add them to the dish for the last couple of minutes. I divided this into 3 as well…..and now we have 6 meals.

Hard boiled a dozen eggs. This was very vital to me this week, as there were times when I had to prepare meals for my kids and needed something quick. Hard boiled eggs are perfect, and eggs are packed with great nutrients. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/08/earlyshow/health/main7329038.shtml Trainer Jackie Warner actually suggests eating 2 eggs a day in her book "This is Why You're Fat and How to Get Thin Forever."

Eat Clean Vanishing Party Nuts: Oh man, you have got to get these recipes. I made these and rationed them into individual servings and put them into snack baggies. I have a tremendous sweet tooth, especially in the evening after dinner. These are awesome, packed with good fats, protein, and minimal good sugar (Rapadura, Molasses) and combined with some cottage cheese makes an excellent end of day snack or an easy snack to stuff in your purse.

Roasted veggies: I made an assortment of roasted veggies (plum tomatoes, zucchini, red onion) and roasted them in olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, with sea salt. I saved these for making the Eat Clean Roasted Veggie Avocado Subs as well as when I was extra hungry, I munched on veggies.

In the Eat Clean books, there are shopping lists and meal lists laid out for you to make this as easy as possible. Later today, I will prepare a clean Chipotle Chicken, it will sit in the crock pot all day and be ready for some tasty burrito bowl (brown rice, chipotle chicken, spinach or shredded lettuce, light sour cream…you can season your brown rice with fresh cilantro and lime). The recipe I use is this one: http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=chicken_recipe I use olive oil here as well.

There are some awesome breakfasts in Tosca's books as well, from Banana Walnut Bread to delicious smoothies, wonderful omelets, oatmeal, porridge, pancakes, waffles. You really don't feel like you are deprived. My breakfast during the week consists of MRM Chocolate Whey Protein Powder (from whole foods or purchased online), a half scoop (protein powder scooper) of cocoa powder, 2 cups spinach, 1 banana, 1 Tbs of ground flax seeds, 1/2 cup of dry oats, and 8 oz of coconut milk. It makes a GIANT smoothie that fills me up and is packed with nutrients.

Check out the Eat Clean Website Here for wonderful recipes

My success story for the week is linked here, check it out…join the online community on the website and read all of the great testimonials and success stories.

Now, I need to work on the activity. For 5 months, I've been running and training for a half marathon until a knee injury 3.5 weeks ago set me back. Since then, my activity has been minimal. I have done a little walking, but my goal is to begin a weight training regimen, and walk/run combo for a while to build my strength. It's very difficult for me at times, my husband travels quite a bit certain times of the year and I stay at home with two young kids. I also homeschool my oldest along with extracurricular activities for her such as soccer and dance, plus I'm taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University Class myself…..so we have a full schedule M, T, TR, SA, SU and making the time to workout when you aren't a morning person is difficult when you don't have help.

Why am I not a morning person? Well, first I struggle with a hormone imbalance (which is being treated and tweaked with natural bioidentical therapy) and I am tired quite a bit, felt the most in the early mornings. The hormone imbalance has been responsible for quite a few issues pertaining to weight issues, fatigue, etc. Secondly, I am still up with little ones at times during the night for various reasons and 5 am comes too quickly even when I am in bed at a decent hour.

Speaking of bed, sleep is essential to weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Experts recommend at least 8 hours, at decent times at night, and rest helps promote healing and health in the body….so SLEEP! Stop staying up till midnight every night (I know, easier said than done sometimes).

Okay….simmer on that one until tomorrow :)