Clean Eating

Clean Eating Explained

If you like to research you'll find that everyone has their own idea of what "Clean Eating" means. Everyone has an opinion and we all like to share. :) In my opinion, clean eating is pretty straight forward. Eating more foods from the Earth. Plant and animal based eating, no excess sugar or food coming from a box or bag. Very similar to Paleo, but I do like adding in some gluten free grains like quinoa and wild rice. And it's best to stay away from chemicals or ingredients you can't pronounce on the food label. So the more organic and fresh, the better! 

Now I realize that not everyone has access to organic produce and meats. So I recommend doing your best to find organic options in your area at the farmers market or grocery store and if you can't buy organic don't sweat it. Just do your best to keep things simple with what your grocery store offers. And if you are on a tight budget or can't get your hands on anything organic, just do your best with what you have available. You will get no judgement from me. :) 

I do recommend that you eat fruits and vegetables with lots of color and eat as basic as you can. Veggies, Fruit, Protein, Gluten Free Grains, and Healthy Fats as often as possible. Three main meals and two snacks a day usually work well for most people. This will help keep your blood sugar from dipping, helps ward off cravings for sweets and helps your body lose weight faster. 

Most people are busy and don't think they have time to make meals... But honestly we all have time if we make time. Which is why planning and food preparation is super important. Hey, I get being busy! I have 3 kids, a toddler, preschooler and a teen! When I'm not chasing the little's around I'm working from home coaching others on how to live a healthier lifestyle. So you could say my day is pretty full! Meal planning an preparation save my butt on a regular basis, so I make room for it in my schedule once a week. And you can too! Not sure how to meal plan or food prep? There's a ton of info out there on you-tube and through google. And if that's to overwhelming, message me.

Below you'll find more information on a journey I took a while back, to expand on clean eating and eliminate certain foods from my diet. You'll find a meal plan and food list below. If you have any questions about clean eating or needing help setting up your own meal plan message me. I'm here to help!

 P90X3 Meal Plan and Grocery List

As you may know by reading my blog I've struggled with PCOS for many years and found my balance. PCOS causes many problem fertility issues, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, and much more! One of the big issues that most people with PCOS suffer with are food craving for sweets and salty foods. There's actually a chemical reason for why this happens to us and the peek times these symptoms kick in are typically mid day to evening. Which can be a difficult to fend off when your doing your best to eat right and workout!

Before I became pregnant with my first daughter, I had lost over 40lbs of stubborn fat and finally gotten my eating habits under control. I got rid of the junk, most grains and dairy... That's just what happened to work best for me and my PCOS symptoms. Eating clean was one of the biggest things to help knock those PCOS cravings out! And after being consistent with healthier habits my body had time to heal itself and SURPRISE I got pregnant again!! :) 

Now that I've gone on to have baby #2 and then surprised again by baby #3, it's been interesting seeing how the PCOS symptoms start trying to creep back in with all the hormone fluxes. Which is why it's been super important to stay vigilant with healthier habits.  

In an effort to make sure that I maintain a grip on my PCOS issues I've had to focus mainly on nutrition and follow up with some fitness. Taking healthy steps forward to continue the healing process. Now I realize that there is no cure for PCOS. However we can work towards management, and that is what I am referring to when I use the word "healing". 

Post baby #2 I was struggling with food and PCOS symptoms so I decided to order P90X3 and try the nutrition program out. Tony Horton can be a little crazy sometimes however, I liked the fact that he has his feet firmly planted on the ground when it comes to nutrition. Tony doesn't play around!! 

After receiving my package in the mail, I was pleased to see that the nutrition plan is what I was looking for! Simple, and easy to put together meal plans. YES! Because this Momma doesn't have time to play around either!! ;) I took time to read through the nutrition guide, and really enjoyed "intuitive eating" and eating by "way of the hand". Who has time to measure? I don't! So I embraced learning how to eat intuitively. Which means listening to your bodies needs, not junk food cravings, and over time getting used to knowing how much an actual serving really is for my body! This type of eating put me back on track with healthy options and I was feeling better and healthier in no time! 

Please keep in mind that Shakeology has really helped me over time and I have continued to use it through the years because it just works for me. So I incorporate it into all my meal plans as you will see below and in other areas of this blog. For me I've found that Shakeology is the easiest way for my body to absorb and use supplementation. I just can't digest pill forms for some reason. Plus it helps get me going in the morning, curbs my food cravings and helps stabilize my energy levels through the day. And even with small children running around I may be tired, but thankfully I have the energy I need to keep chasing them around. So Shakeology paired with a solid food plan has been pivotal in how my body handles stress daily.

Here is what my food plan for P90X3 looked like. This is based on a 40/30/30 plan and 2100 calories per the P90X3 Nutrition Guide book. In order to come up with 2100 calories daily I took a quick quiz which narrowed down what I should be eating along with the exercise requirements of the fitness program.

My meal plan for P90X3

 Please notice that my grocery list doesn't include junk food. By avoiding the junk I eliminate the temptation and it keeps my grocery bill down. And YES my family ate the majority of these foods with me. I only modify meals for them as making separate meals defeats the purpose of learning healthy habits at a young age. They need to eat well too in order to be healthy. Just sayin. ;)

Grocery list for the my meal plan

Did you know...
You don’t need to eat bananas
for the potassium! (Although it is present in bananas, potassium is the predominant nutrient among most all fruits and vegetables.)
Bananas are high in sugar,
so they should not be eaten if you have blood sugar problems.
Don’t eat bananas on an empty stomach; combining them with a bit of protein will help to normalize the insulin response caused by the sugar in the banana.
Green-tipped bananas are better for your health than over-ripe bananas.
On a side note: Because bananas are so popular, rainforests are often destroyed to make way for banana plantations.

Celery is the best source for naturally occurring sodium? It is also contains high amounts of potassium!

Almonds are packed with nutrients including fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron, and calcium!! They also provide 22% more calcium than any other nut AND gives you 15% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E.









8 Healthy Facts about Grapes

• Grape Origins

Spanish explorers introduced the fruit to America about 300 years ago.

• Grapes Are Berries!

Yes, grapes are a kind of berry. They have a leathery covering and a fleshy inside, similar to blueberries.

• The Grape Family

There are more than 8,000 grape varieties from about 60 species. The main types are American and European.

• Grape Nutrition

One cup of grapes, with about 100 calories, provides more than a quarter of the daily recommended values of vitamins K and C. Grape seeds, which are edible, are chock-full of antioxidants.

• Grapes Into Wine

It takes about 2.5 pounds of grapes to make one bottle of wine.

• Grapes Into Raisins

Raisins are dried sweet grapes. This process occurs naturally when the grapes are left in sunlight.

• Origins of Concord Grapes

These plump blue grapes get their name from Concord, Mass., where they were developed. They have a distinctive taste and can survive colder climates.

• Grape Colors

Grapes come in many colors, including green, red, black, yellow, pink, and purple. "White" grapes are actually green.

Links;
http://www.blessthismessplease.com/2013/07/eating-clean-meal-plan.html
http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/recipes-2/