If you have ever trained with me or have taken one of my group fitness classes you know how much I'll talk about food. Food is a passion for me and I love to share information about how the role of nutrition can play when you are trying to decrease body fat, improve performance, recover correctly, etc....I'm a foodie.
One principle I have adopted many years ago, and this was before all the books were out, was one of Clean Eating. I learned the importance of Olive Oil, Oatmeal, whole grains, etc. over 17 years ago. And today it is part of my daily diet and that of my children's as well. You can eat clean and still enjoy great tasting food. It is by no means a bland way of living.
Eating clean will actually help you lose weight, have more energy, even help with hormone issues and endocrine problems. It will nourish you from the inside out and when your organs are healthy and working properly, your body will process foods better.
Here are some Clean Eating Principles to adopt:
Eat 5-6 small meals every day, eating about every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism sizzling
Combine lean protein and complex carbs at every meal
Drink your water. At least 8 cups per day.
Don't skip meals, especially breakfast
Invest in a small, portable cooler to pack your snacks for when you are running errands and such
AVOID over-processed, refined foods. Especially white flour and white sugar. ( I say, if it's white, it's not right)
AVOID saturated and trans fats
NO Diet sodas or juices (diet soda had phosphorus in it and that robs calcium from your bones)
Eat healthy fats such as Olive oil, nuts, avocados, salmon etc....
AVOID alcohol, another form of sugar (7 grams of carbs per ounce)
Get off the Fat Free. Fat free means more chemicals to replace actual food.
Portion size, portion size portion size.
So what does that leave? Here is what one of my typical eating days looks like:
Breakfast (7am) 5 Egg Whites w/ a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a dollup of salsa
or 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal with Natural Peanut Butter and unsweetened apple sauce, cinnamon
Snack: homemade protein bar or 5 Kashi cracker with hummus or Greek Yogurt with ground Flax Seed
Lunch: Quiona mixed with veggies and 1 palm sized turkey burger (93%lean)
5 celery sticks, hummus
Snack: 1 small apple with 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese, or a protein shake or 3 hard boiled egg whites
Dinner (7pm): Spinach salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, quiona, cucumber, onion...(whatever I have) tuna or chicken, homemade olive oil/rice vinegar dressing.
This is only a sample, there are many other ways to do this. You have to start somewhere and find what works best for you and your body type.
A great book I recommend to all of my clients is The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. You can find it at her website www.ToscaReno.com. Her recipes are easy to use and she lays it all out for you.
On another note: Black Mountain is a fabulous little town to visit for a short day trip. But, if you visit here, please make sure you stop by my friend Hallie's bistro called Apple a Day Depot. Hallie is breast cancer survivor who through clean eating and lots of prayer beat breast cancer. It is now her passion to serve up clean, wholesome, vegan and vegetarian foods. My favorite is her husband's Sam's soup, Cashew Carrot Ginger. It's like eating a comfort food, but is so healthy. I also like her wraps (gluten free for me) filled with raw living foods, and her homemade hummus. Her food nourishes the soul.
As always, I'm listening.......leslie
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