Eating Clean and Healthy

Hello everybody.

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. It has been a busy week with Valentine's Day and starting my moonlighting job at a wine boutique. But I am still around!

I wanted to talk about simply eating healthy and the best way to go about it. I hate the word "diet". To me, it gives negative vibes and relates to something temporary. I always tell people, being healthy starts with simply eating healthy foods, not dieting. It's changing your lifestyle and daily habits. I try to keep the rules to being healthy very very easy.

So to answer the question of what should you eat? Keep it simple, stupid ;) Lol, ok I am really not calling you stupid, but it's what I had to say to myself and still do. Eat Clean. Well, what is eating clean? It is following a regimen of eliminating processed, packaged and pre-prepared foods and eating fresh whole foods. Fruits, vegetables and lean protein. I know that sounds boring and no fun, but think of how much better you will feel if you are fueling your body with natural whole foods that it is supposed to have rather than forcing your body to digest and eliminate unnatural, unhealthy, fattening  foods. And if you are looking to follow a health food plan and loose weight this is the best way.

Start by throwing out anything that comes in a box or package. Meaning, cookies, chips, crackers, mac and cheese, pasta sides, snack cakes, etc. You get the point. Cut back on saturated fats. These are fats found in butter, milk, cheese, meat (especially red meat).Now I am not saying stop drinking milk, but drink skim milk. and eat lean chicken and turkey rather than steak. Add unsaturated fats such as olive oil, tree nuts and avocados. Eliminate anything white or that contains anything white. (You may need to start reading labels.) This being white flour, white bread, white rice, sugar. Get rid of all that junk food. Sugary foods are basically empty calories and can pack on the pounds. When you stick to whole foods, you will stay full and satisfied and will not be as tempted to load up on junk. Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day rather than 3 huge meals each day. This helps to prevent you from becoming extremely hungry and overeating. Oh and STOP EATING OUT! Ok sorry for yelling, but eat out only as an exception, not as the rule. This is a big reason why a lot of people gain weight or can't lose weight. Start cooking your own meals at home. Brian and I love cooking. We put on some Frank Sinatra music and have fun with it. But this way you can use whole, fresh ingredients and eat something healthy. And you know what is in your food. My best tip is to shop on the perimeter of the grocery store where all the fresh foods are. You really shouldn't need anything from the middle isles, which are mostly boxed and packaged foods. And just keep it simple. For example, this is my meal regimen:

• Breakfast: I drink the The Glowing Green Smoothie, however you could have an apple and 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter or fat free plain greek yogurt with fresh blueberries.
• Lunch: I eat a few slices of a tomato and half an avocado drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with black pepper and a small handful of low sodium turkey breast from the deli.
• Snacks in between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner: handful of unsalted roasted almonds, fat free string cheese, fresh veggies and hummus, handful of grapes.
• Dinner: If we are staying simple we will have either chicken breasts, pork chops, shrimp, etc with some seasoning (not salt) baked or cooked on the stove with olive oil, a small salad and green beans or broccoli for example. But we do often cook more in depth meals, but stay with the clean guidelines using fresh ingredients (and we stay as gluten free as possible due to my belly troubles). We do utilize the crock pot. (see my recipes tab for a few recipes)

Eating healthy does not have to be difficult and you will find you feel better, will loose weight if needed and it can easily become a part of life. Dieting will only set you up for failure and disappointment. It is good to have a "cheat day" once a week or so, but keep it at that. 

I hope this helps if you are trying to figure out how to change your eating habits. If you want healthy recipe ideas check out my recipe tab.

Today's Workout:
Lower Body Tabata Workout: from www.fitnessblender.com, giving the upper body a break due to some shoulder strain

Have a great weekend!

Stay Active,

~Mandi