End of week one!

Hey everyone! So, it is finally the end of week one, my energy seem to be leveling out a bit (sugar withdrawals?) and with the exception of yesterday I have been following the meal plan. Yesterday was a bit of a wash, I did eat clean, but I didn't follow the plan at all. A friend suggested that I drink more water, so when I got up in the morning I drank 20oz of water and couldn't eat until almost 11am oops...

I struggled with some pretty harsh sugar cravings the last couple days, so for anyone else who is interested in curbing those cravings here is some advice.

1. up your protein intake

2. go eat a piece of fruit

3. brush your teeth (sounds silly but it works for just about any craving)

4. take L-Glutamine about 1,000mg every 4 hours for the first week of eliminating sugar

I hope that helps, if anyone has anything to add to this please feel free to comment! 

I have been focusing in getting some exercise in daily. Alternating about 30 minutes of cardio with a 2.5 mile walk. Today I took my kids to a magic show, off to split a large nachos at a fabulous little Mexican place in town, I did some networking and found myself  forming a Mom's Group with another newly settled resident (who knew that would happen today?) and then scored 2 weeks of Hot Yoga for 10 bucks. All in all not a bad Saturday ;)

I realized that Sunday is Father's Day, so Happy Father's Day to all of you awesome Dad's out there!
Every year on Father's Day my husband asks me to make him this heart stopper here:

Emeril's Over the Top Bacon, Egg and Cheese Meatloaf


I will start working on another plan for next week, and I hope that you all hang in here with me and have been inspired to push through and make cleaner choices!

Lara  <3 

Week One, Part 2

*Full disclosure* 

I've started getting sugar cravings, maybe I am hormonal but I suspect that I am not getting enough protein. If I could pour barbecue sauce on everything and eat half a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter cups I probably would. Instead, I plan to have a few squares of at least 70% cocoa dark chocolate tonight with a spoonful of peanut butter ;)

Below is meal plan for the week (including what I ate today).  My drinks were about the same as usual.  I had black coffee this morning w/out sweetener and am going to try and keep that up as I wean off of it. I haven't had anymore issues with anxiety or restless leg past that first day, and was able to get in a nice 30 minute workout late this afternoon. I've also started taking a multivitamin again, hoping to combat my fatigue.

Breakfast

Wednesday: Half an egg sandwich (not great I know)

Thursday: Protein Shake

Friday: Avocado Toast

Saturday:The Cheat Day (this is the day I shop for food for the following week)


Snacks

Wednesday: Peanut butter on toast, Celery and peanut butter

Thursday: Carrots and hummus, Applesauce w/cinnamon and raisins

Friday: Cottage cheese and pineapple, Ants on a Log (simple and my kids love this)

Saturday: The Cheat Day

Lunch

Wednesday: Clean grilled cheese

I added tomatoes, organic stone ground mustard and shredded chicken because I was famished

Thursday:  Mixed Green Salad with Sherry Vinegar and parmesan

Friday: Clean egg salad (using cottage cheese instead of mayo)

Saturday: The Cheat Day


Dinner: 

Wednesday:  Chicken with brown rice and Japanese stir fry veggies


Thursday: Clean Fish Tacos

Friday: Detox Split Pea Soup

Saturday: The Cheat Day

Week One, Day 3

Below is my log from yesterday. I had more energy and avoided coffee in the afternoon without any anxiety. I tried to plan my meals around what I already had in the kitchen to avoid overspending and still eat Clean. Overall it is going well. I hope that all of you are hanging in there with me, feel free to share if you have hit any bumps in the road. Tomorrow I will post the meal plan through Saturday, I hope that you are all having a great week!

Breakfast: Protein shake + Poached egg on toast
  
Snack: Tapenade w/brown rice crisps

Lunch: Clean Grilled Cheese

Snack: Salmon Dill dip (1/2 can salmon w/greek yogurt, almond slices, dill and a squeeze of lemon) on brown rice crisps. Later in the afternoon I was still hungry and had more of this on apple slices and it was still really good.

Dinner: Curried Turkey w/pineapple

Drinks: Water, lemon water, Coffee (dark roast) with Coconut milk creamer, Lemon+Ginger+Echinacea juice watered down with Pellegrino, Iced Tea w/lemon and honey

Exercise: 2.5 mile walk

Week One, Day 2

Things went really well today, my only complaint being that I began to feel incredibly drained by around 1:45pm in the afternoon and by 3pm I was suffering from a small amount of anxiety and some restless leg. I got a lemon water and went for a long walk hoping it would help my energy levels. I usually have a cup of coffee in the afternoon and did not do that today, so that may be why. Thankfully I took the time to made most of what I would need in bulk yesterday evening.

Breakfast: Sweet Potato + Five Spiced Muffins
  
Snack: Tapenade w/brown rice crisps

recipe: I got a 4.5 oz jar of pitted kalamata olives, a small container of anchovy wrapped capers, and some garlic. I drained the olives and added to the blender, drizzled with anchovy oil from the tin, added about 3 of the anchovies plus 4 more capers that were in the container plus 2 cloves of garlic chopped and blended until it made a nice chunky paste. It made about 6oz of tapenade, enough for my husband and I to snack on today with leftovers for tomorrow.

Lunch: Clean Grilled Cheese

Snack: leftover Toasted Quinoa and Cabbage from last night

Dinner: Clean Eating Taquitos

 

I didn't follow the from the link exactly, but they were still clean and made about 24 Taquitos and not 48. I am sure it would have if I had followed the recipe-which called for 3 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts and not the 1 1/2lbs I used. I served them with a nice Clean Salsa Verde by Frontera on sale for $3.47

Drinks: Water, Coffee (dark roast) with Coconut milk creamer, Lemon+Ginger+Echinacea juice watered down with Pellegrino

Exercise: Two long walks, unsure of the distance

What I Actually Ate: Day One

*Full Disclosure*

Today has been a great example of how even the best laid plans can go awry. Yesterday my daughter woke up feeling sick and shaky. I am still unsure why and she seems fine today. However I didn't get to go shopping and I didn't get the large amount of cooking done that I had planned on for the week. I started this morning with Kashi Strawberry Fields w/unsweetened almond milk. I hadn't made a snack so I didn't get one. Instead I got the kids dressed and went to the store (sans snack) to get some things for today and tomorrow and we all ended up at Jack In The Box around 11:30 a.m. Faced with a choice of how to approach this, I realized that this was a great example of a situation many of us end up in weekly (on a lunch break or out with friends). I decided to let this be a fun exercise in how to handle those times.

I scrutinized the menu- I almost got the Grilled Chicken salad, but I suspected it would have more sugar than a sandwich (I was right by the way, 7grams versus the 5 grams in the club I chose). I got a Sourdough Grilled Chicken club (not the meal) with a lemonade. I know that I probably should have gotten water (I was sharing a drink with my husband and he wouldn't have gone for that). I took the top slice of bread off (with the sauce) and the bacon and gave those to my toddler. It was good, I didn't feel too deprived and I think it was a pretty decent choice given the circumstances.

Breakfast:  Kashi Strawberry Fields w/almond milk

Snack: none (oops)

Lunch: Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club on one slice of bread w/no bacon + Lemonade

Snack: Blueberry, dark chocolate and almond milk smoothie

Smoothie recipe: 6oz blueberries, 16oz almond milk, 4 squares of 88% dark chocolate (melted before pouring into the liquid) and 4 ice cubes pulsed until well blended

Makes: Four nutrient dense, antioxidant smoothies
 
Dinner: Toasted Quinoa and Cabbage 

You may want to check this out it helped me: How to Core and Slice a Cabbage

This was a simple and inexpensive meal that fed my family of five with a plate of leftovers. I used the Whole Wheat Quinoa that I already had on hand, and substituted green onion that was in my fridge for the olives and it was still great.


Drinks: Water, Electrolyte water, Coffee (dark roast) with Coconut milk creamer, Lemon+Ginger+Echinacea juice watered down with Pellegrino, chamomile tea with a tsp of honey

Exercise: I walked a mile on the beach today

I am making Sweet Potato + Five Spice Muffins and Tapenade tonight so I am not stuck in this same situation tomorrow. I will include the recipes for both in tomorrows blog post.

How did your first day go?

Week One, Part 1

I decided to break up my personal menu into 3 day blocks to simplify things. I am logging my meals and encourage everyone to do the same ( per the Clean Challenge Guidelines) and I have included 5 alternatives at the bottom of each section for those who are feeling adventurous. I am not saying this is what everyone should eat, as a matter of fact I encourage everyone to Google their favorite meals and find ways to make them Clean. I used many recipes based around what I already eat, or already have on hand. Be creative and don't stress over the details. If you suddenly discover that your turkey bacon has preservatives or your chicken sausage contains Polysorbate 80 (as I did yesterday morning) let it go and make a mental note to look for one without that ingredient next time you shop.

Breakfast

Sunday: Blueberry, Carob and Almond milk smoothie

Monday: Sweet Potato + Five-Spiced Muffins

Tuesday: Protein Shake

Clean breakfast alternatives:  Sweet Rice Bowl, Blueberry Cottage Cheese, Tofu Scramble with Roasted Potatoes, The Five Minute Breakfast, Clean Cereal (like Kashi Go-Lean, or Grapenuts) w/your choice of Milk (Almond, Coconut, Soy, Rice or Whole Milk)


Snacks

Sunday: Tapenade on Rice Crackers, Kale chips

Monday: Pecan Salmon Dip , Roasted Chickpeas

Tuesday: Apple slices w/peanut butter, Roasted Chickpeas

Clean Snack alternatives: Peanut butter/Almond butter on Toast, Nuts, Cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon, Dark Chocolate Covered Banana Bites, 40 Clean Snacks


Lunch

Sunday: Clean Eating Taquitos

Monday: Clean Grilled Cheese

Tuesday: Clean Eating Taquitos (the recipe makes 48)

Clean lunch alternatives: Lentil Salad, Clean Tuna Pasta, Vegetarian Nori Rolls with Nut Rice, Stir Fried Veggies with Chicken and Buckwheat Noodles, Toasted Quinoa and Cabbage


Dinner

Sunday: Portobello Mushroom Pizza

Monday: Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

Tuesday: Pita Panini's with Tuna and Sprouts

Clean dinner alternatives: Spaghetti Genovese, Clean Eating Curry Pineapple Turkey Rice Bowl, Egg 'n' Baked Potatoes, Lean meat (or vegetarian protein source) with veggies and brown rice, Roasted Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Steamed Asparagus


Other Blogs with Recipes and Sample Menu's:

Fit Girl Daily

The Fitness Freak

He and She Eat Clean

The Gracious Pantry


*entre nous*

Polysorbate 80 is an ubiquitous little ingredient found in everything from food and makeup to vaccines. It is what gives some pickles like Vlassic that Classic Crunch that we all love. Look for cleaner options, Farmers Markets and Co-ops often sell a cleaner pickle (and you can be sure it was grown close to home).

Getting Started

I don't want this to be stressful for anyone, don't sweat the small stuff. If you are used to eating cereal in the morning, find a Clean Cereal and milk. If you are busy, it is perfectly fine to have a salad for breakfast, yogurt w/fruit for lunch, and oatmeal for dinner. I often have dinner leftovers for breakfast. Thinking ahead, and making simple things e.g meatballs, chicken, muffins, in bulk so that they are readily available when you need them will really help. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Breakfast

Oatmeal (not quick oats) with flax seed and fruit

Quinoa porridge w/maple syrup and almonds

Chopped Banana w/yogurt and nuts

Eggs w/tomatoes and avocado

Cottage Cheese and Fruit


Snacks

Yoghurt w/nuts and raisins

Apple slices with nut butter

Carrots and hummus

Banana Wrap

Pizza Bites


Lunch

Salsa Chicken  make a large batch in advance, use for lunches over several days

Sandwich Wraps

Meatballs with Fruit (make a large batch of turkey meatballs to use over several days)

Whole wheat Pasta w/chicken and tomatoes (substitute with Chickpeas for a vegetarian option)

Cheese and tomato sandwiches
 

Dinner

 Slow Cooker Chicken Cassoulet

Any lean meat, with Veggies w/whole wheat pasta, brown or wild rice

Turkey -Black Bean Soft Tacos

Asian Baked Tofu  

Chicken or Tuna Salad in a wrap


Remember:

Keep it Clean (whole foods)

Keep it Lean (Poultry, Seafood, only the leanest cuts of Beef - Bison and lamb are okay)

Keep it Simple (Minimal ingredients on labels, nothing that you can't pronounce)


<3 Lara

Clean Eating Challenge #1

As promised I wrote up some guidelines for the Clean Eating Challenge, and came up with a list of 5 reasonable goals for us all to follow. Before I begin I wanted to ask one thing: Eliminate the word DIET from your vocabulary. I don't want you go on a diet, especially a strict one. Just saying the word diet, conjures up images of tasteless food, and restriction. Strict diets cause a yo-yo effect, and a good 80% of people who diet gain the weight back and must diet again. It's a questionably addictive cycle, and does nothing to encourage a healthy lifestyle. You are not on a diet, everything that you eat is your diet. Make it count.

1. Eat only whole foods

This is straight forward, eat real food. Full fat milk over 2 percent, whole wheat bread over white, brown rice, quinoa and amaranth over white rice. If buying packaged foods buy only brands with minimal ingredients i.e whole peeled tomatoes versus a canned sauce.

2. Limit sugar and unhealthy fats

No processed garbage, most of which contain white refined sugar or HFCS. Use natural sweeteners such as stevia, honey and real maple syrup.

I was pleased to find this healthy fats grocery list online, check it out!

Healthy Fats Grocery List

3. Eat often

This sounds simpler than it is. Try to aim for 5-6 meals a day. This should be roughly 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks. My family's schedule for years has been 8am, 10am, 12:30-1pm, 3pm, and 5:30-6:30pm for dinner. We have our off days, but in general we stick to this even while out and about.

4. Eat balanced meals

Include a lean protein, a healthy carbohydrate, and a healthy fat at every meal.

5. Don't drink your calories

Reach for water, herbal tea, and other clean drinks. Originally I was going to say that coffee was out, but upon further reading black coffee is considered Clean. A good tip here: The darker the roast the less caffeine, so if you want to minimize caffeine keep that in mind. No specialty coffee drinks or alcohol allowed. If you get bored, try coconut water, carrot juice, or fruit juice watered down with sparkling water.

 Down to business

I am setting the time-frame for this challenge to be between Sunday June 9, 2013 and Friday June 28, 2013, with one "cheat" day allotted per week. I will be posting recipes, logging my food and exercise, and will be encouraging you all to do the same. In general my Clean eating has been more of a love affair than a serious commitment, so if you see any mistakes on the blog or have anything to add please do!

Adrenal Fatigue

Morning Everyone!

If you are like me, you crawl out of bed with one eye open (and likely twitching) and head straight for a cup of strong coffee or tea. You walk around in a fog, waiting for that short burst of energy to kick in and help you start your day off "right." The fallacy in this logic is that Coffee is very taxing on the system and taken over a long period of time can cause a condition called Adrenal Fatigue, inevitably creating the symptoms that you wanted to avoid. Over-exhaustion, anxiety, difficulty sleeping and in extreme cases tachycardia.

Frankly, if we want to build lasting energy and stamina, we need to cut the stimulants and reach for a real energy source i.e food. Replenish your nervous system with whole oats and herbal infusions (think a strong herbal tea). I am leaning towards nettle because it is readily available and cheap at this time of the year and packed full of nutrients. Red raspberry leaf, and Oat Straw would be excellent alternatives.

How do you plan on managing this shift? All thoughts are welcome :)

Clean Breakfast Ideas

Avocado toast


Avocado toast

Toast, Avocado, squeeze of lemon, sea salt and red pepper flakes. 

Here is another recipe for avocado toast I found online:

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-avocado-toast/


Egg Spinach Wrap

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1 tsp chopped fresh herbs (chives or basil)

3 egg whites beaten

EVO

Combine herbs and egg whites, cook until opaque white (do not stir) fold in spinach and serve with pepper.

For those of you who don't like wasting egg yolks, you can whisk them together with about 1/8 tsp salt and (per 3-4 yolks) and freeze them. The salt will keep them from becoming gelatinous later.


Sweet Rice Bowl

1 cup short grain brown rice 

6 cups of water divided

Real maple syrup or agave nectar etc..

1/3 cup almonds (we like slivered almonds and blueberries)

Rinse off rice and combine with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, turn heat as low as it can go and simmer for about 1.5 hours. The rice should be very soft, add the remaining cup of water and cook another 15-30 min until porridgelike. Top with remaining ingredients and serve

Feel free to share more breakfast ideas on this thread!

Turkey and Black Bean Chili with Sweet potatoes

From It's all Good by Gwyneth Paltrow, check out more of her recipes at www.goop.com

For the potatoes:


2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

2 tbls EVO

sea salt

preheat oven to 400 degrees, toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a nice pinch of sea salt until soft about 20 min

Chili Ingredients:

a few tbl of EVO

1 large yellow onion diced (about  1 1/2 cups)

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sweet pimenton (don't be daunted by Gwynethian terms it is just sweet paprika)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1lb ground turkey

1 28oz can of whole peeled tomtatoes

1 14oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

Chopped fresh cilantro and scallions (green onions) for serving is desired

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, pimenton, chili powder, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes (until soft but not too brown). Add the turkey to the pan, break it up and cook stirring not and them until the liquid has been released and is evaporated and meat is nicely browned (this will take about 20 min). Add the tomatoes (liquid and all) and a pinch of salt and turn to high heat. Swish a little water in the can to get everything out of it and add this liquid to the pot too. Once the mixture has come to a boil, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for another 20 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to to crush the tomatoes as they cook.

Add the beans and reserved sweet potato to the pot, and simmer for 15 more minutes. Remove, garnish and serve :)

Roast Chicken with balsamic vinegar, garlic and rosemary wild rice pilaf

From CLEAN by Alejandro Junger   www.cleanprogram.com

Note: Cook chicken breast with skin on for flavor and then remove before eating. (My favorite way is on parchment with a drizzle of olive at 425 for 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 cloves of garlic sliced

1 1/2 cups of balsamic vinegar

2 tbl minced rosemary

2 tbl EVO

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups of cooked wild rice made with vegetable stock

2 scallions (green onions)

1/4 cup each of cilantro and fresh mint chopped

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (soaked for 2 hours)

Directions:

In a small saucepan reduce the balsamic vinegar by simmering and occasionally stirring until it has a syrupy consistency. Add the garlic and rosemary, simmer 2 min more and set aside.

When you cook the chicken brush with the mixture, turn halfway through and repeat.

To make the pilaf, place the cooked and diced chicken, rice, scallions, cilantro, mint and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Toss and serve. This is really good both hot and cold.


Enjoy!