Clean Eating: When, How Much, and What to eat

When 

I was brought up to eat 3 meals a day and this was a hard habit for me to break.  It takes 21 days to break a habit, so for the next 3 weeks set a timer on your phone or watch to remind you when to eat.  For instance, I usually eat my meals at 7 am, 10 am, 12:30 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm.   Set your timer for similar times (depending on when you wake up) and plan your meals for these times.

I like to eat my Starchy Complex Carbohydrates earlier in the day when I'm more active.  I usually have oatmeal for breakfast and then rice, quinoa, or pasta with lunch.  Occasionally, I will eat a SCC with my dinner, but often I will opt for a vegetable instead and then save the SCC for lunch the next day.   This is one of the ways that I adapt what I make for my family to meet my requirements.  Also if I'm going to workout in the evening, I might eat another SCC for my afternoon snack.  

How Much

Remember portion size too!  Here's a great video by the Clean Eating Queen, Tosca Reno.

 

What to eat

One of the Clean Eating Rules is to pair lean proteins with complex carbohydrates.   

When you combine LP and CC every three hours, 

you are encouraging your body to burn fat and boost your metabolism.  

Lean protein: 5-6 servings daily

Starchy Complex Carbs: 2-3 servings daily

Complex Carbs from fruits and vegetables: 5-6 servings daily

Healthy Fats: 2-3 servings daily

Lean Protein:  

• Boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast
• Egg (I eat the whole egg, because those yolks are packed with nutrients)
• Fish such as salmon and tuna
• Shakeology
• Tofu
• *Nuts such as unsalted cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts
• *Hummus
• Cottage Cheese
• Greek Yogurt (plain with no fruit on the bottom)
• *Nut butters
• *seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, chia
• Beans of all kinds
• *Avocado

*Healthy fats.  These can be confusing- are they a protein or a fat???  I count nuts, seeds, avocados as both a fat and a protein.  What does that mean?  It means that if I eat almonds and an apple for a snack then I count that as my LP+CC, but it's also uses up one of my servings of fat for the day.  

Other healthy fats include olive oil and coconut oil.

Complex Carbs from fruits and vegetables:  

• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Green Beans
  
• Peas
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Pears
• Raspberries and blackberries
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Brussels Sprouts
• Leafy Greens
• Spinach

Starchy Complex Carbs:  

• whole grain bread
• oatmeal
• whole grain pasta
  
• brown rice
• couscous
• *quinoa
• whole grain tortilla
• *teff
• bananas
• potatoes

*Also tricky.  Some SCC are also high in protein, such as quinoa and teff.  I do the same with these as fats.  I may have quinoa(LP) and blueberries(CC) as a pre-workout snack, but I count the quinoa as one of my SCC for the day and add in some nuts for a little more protein.  

Here's some more info 

Carbohydrates.

What I Eat

What is Clean Eating

Clean Eating Basics

Shakeology recipes

This is the easiest post that I have ever written!!!  

Or rather copied and pasted.

Just click on the calendar to see a larger view 

or print it out.

Chocolate

Vanilla

Green Berry

Strawberry

EEK-My First CLEANSE

It seems like we are being bombarded with the words CLEANSE, DETOX and TOXINS lately.  I have been on the fence about what to think about all of this.  I think that it's the nurse in me, but I just don't agree with putting more chemicals into our bodies in order to pull other chemicals out.  

So I decided to do the research and get off the fence.  After doing my homework, I found this 48 hour cleanse by Dr. Oz.  

*I have included the shopping list and recipes for the cleanse in this post. 

I'm not the biggest Dr. Oz fan, sometimes I think that he can be a bit of a sell out, but I am in love with all of the whole, nutrient dense foods in this cleanse.   

I'm getting ready to start BeachBody's 21 Day Fix on Monday, March 10, so I thought I would kick it off with trying out a CLEANSE.  I will be replacing one of the snacks each day with Shakeology. 

Here is the explanation for Dr. Oz's 48 hour cleanse:

"The practice of detoxifying the body to rid it of unhealthy toxins has been around for centuries. Hippocrates recommended fasting to improve health, and many religious groups have historically used fasting as a way of purifying the spirit. 

Today the marketplace is cluttered with detox diets that promise to help you lose weight, boost your energy levels and more. However, many popular detox diets, especially those that involve extreme low-calorie fasting, can rob the body of important nutrients and place the body in starvation mode, which actually slows your metabolism. Other downsides of many detox diets include: dehydration, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and even colon damage.

The Body’s Detox System
Oftentimes people don’t realize that the body has its own extraordinary internal detoxification system. Here’s a brief look at three critical organs involved:

• The Liver: Your first line of defense against toxins is your liver, which acts like a filter in preventing toxic substances contained in foods from passing into your blood stream.
• The Colon: This organ has bacteria that produce both healthy and unhealthy chemicals. You want to keep your colon flowing regularly since its main role is to flush out toxic chemicals before they can do you any harm.   
• The Kidneys: Like clockwork, the kidneys are constantly filtering your blood and getting rid of toxins in the form of urine.

For a detox diet to truly work, you need to maintain these three key organs by nourishing your body with the right nutrients. Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse is based upon eating certain “detoxifying” foods that will keep these systems running smoothly. The plan couldn’t be simpler to follow so you’re not always focused on what to eat next. You'll need to prepare and eat the following meals and snacks two days in a row. To get ready for the weekend cleanse, print out the complete cleanse shopping list and make a trip to the supermarket. "

Breakfast: Quinoa with Chopped Prunes

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 pinch nutmeg

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp flax seed oil

1/3 cup chopped prunes

1/4 cup rice milk

Directions

In a small pot, stir 1/2 cup quinoa, a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tsp of grated ginger into a cup of water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the prunes and rice milk. Cover again and cook another 5 minutes.

Before serving, stir in 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil.

Snack: Detox Drinks

Kale, Pineapple and Ginger Detox Drink

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings (which you can drink throughout the day)

1/2 cup pineapple

2 large cucumbers

1 bunch kale without stems (about 4 cups chopped)

1/2 lemon, squeezed

1/4 inch of ginger

1 bunch of mint (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

Chop ingredients so they are able to fit into juicer. Juice ingredients one at a time. Enjoy!

Alternative: Pineapple, Lemon and Pomegranate Blend-Free Detox Drink

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings (which you can drink throughout the day) 

3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 lemon

1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice

3 cups water

Directions

Combine all ingredients and mix in a cup. Enjoy!

You can consume as many of these snacks as you'd like throughout the day.

Alternative Snack: Fresh Veggies 

Ingredients

Celery

Radishes

Cucumber

Green beans

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Cut up celery, radishes, cucumber and green beans.

For dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.

You can consume as many of these snacks as you'd like throughout the day.

Lunch: Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup almond or hemp milk (plain/unsweetened)

1 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 banana

1/2 cup ice

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.  

Dinner: Vegetable Broth Soup 

Ingredients

Makes 5 servings

2 red onions, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 fennel bulb, fronds and stalks included, roughly chopped

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup sliced shitake caps

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 cabbage, roughly chopped

2 quarts water

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

8 sprigs parsley, chopped stems and leaves

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except for the chopped parsley, in a pot. Add 2 quarts of water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer covered for about 1 hour. Adjust seasoning.

Remove whole parsley sprigs and serve topped with some freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with a side of traditionally fermented sauerkraut and chopped apples (warm or room temperature). 

Here's the link for the entire article: Dr. Oz 48 Hour Weekend Cleanse

Meals: Ideas, planning and prepping

Planning, prepping, 

shopping,

 

It may seem like a lot of work, but I have found that I am more successful at weight loss, maintenance and sticking to clean eating when I do them.  Here are some suggestions and ideas of what works for me.

These are 2 YouTube videos that I made:

Meal Planning

Meal Prepping

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal, chopped apple, cinnamon/ 4 egg whites
Oatmeal with 1/2 banana, walnuts/ 4 egg whites
smoothies
Shakeology with berries & spinach
Quinoa, almond milk, berries
Teff, almond milk, berries
Greek yogurt, berries, Fiber One cereal
Cottage Cheese, berries, Fiber One cereal
4 Egg whites or whole 2 eggs with peppers/onions/mushrooms
Pumpkin Pancakes


SNACKS

nuts (almonds, cashews, almonds, etc), fruit (apple, orange, pear, etc)
Shakeology/smoothie
2 eggs, berries or veggies
1/2 chicken breast, steamed green beans
canned tuna, apple
chopped veggies (celery, carrots, peppers), Avocado hummus
Almond butter or peanut butter, apple
quinoa, 1/2 banana


LUNCH

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins and Vegetables
leftovers
salad: greens, chopped veggies of choice/ quinoa or beans/ ground turkey, turkey breast, chicken/ dressing
Rice and Black Beans





DINNER

Turbo Fire Chili
Chicken Fajitas
Everyday Marinara Sauce with baked chicken or pork roast
Chicken and Vegetable Bake
Salmon baked on a bed of spinach, baked potato
Roasted turkey breast, steamed broccoli, rice
Tenderloin, roasted carrots, beets, leeks & sweet potato
Baked tilipia, steamed spinach, tomatoes

What I eat

Recently my friend Libby (co-host of KPVI More and fellow participant in 6 Figures) asked me how I am able to eat over 1600 calories per day since I am eating clean.  Actually, my problem is trying not to eat over that each day.  Just because a food is clean, it doesn't mean it is low in calories.  Sure, you can eat mounds of spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus, etc. for very few calories, but nuts, dried foods, oils and the like are very high in calories.  That's probably why I have an addiction to Adam's natural peanut butter and prunes (not together).  I decided to break down what I eat during the day, just to show how easy it is to eat clean and get the proper nutrition.  These are my very favorite meals.  I'm not a nutritionist and if one looked over my meals, they would probably see a lot of things that I am doing wrong.  However, this is what seems to be working for me.  I have been able to keep up a high level of fitness and energy.

Breakfast 
4 squares of Jamie Eason's Carrot Cake Protein Bars covered in 1 cup almond milk and microwaved for about 1 minute.  I top with 1 TBSP chopped walnuts
or
4 egg whites and Everyday Oatmeal

My "Everyday oatmeal"
1/3 cup oats
2/3 cup water
1 TBSP chia seeds
cinnamon to taste
1/2 cup fruit: apples or blueberries are my favorite add ins
I microwave everything for 2 minutes, then I add 1 packet of stevia and almond milk to desired consistency.

Post workout snack
4 eggs whites scrambled with kale or spinach and chopped peppers (pretty much whatever veggies I have)
or
Berry Smoothie:  1/2 banana, 1/2 cup berries (fresh or frozen), scoop of protein powder, water

Lunch
Jamie Eason's Turkey Meatloaf Meatballs, sauteed peppers, salsa, cholula
or
4 oz chicken, sweet potato, veggies (I usually used some kind of frozen mixed veggies)
or
last night's leftovers

Mid afternoon snack
1 oz nuts and apple
or
1 rice cake, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 TBSP raisins, 1 TBSP pecans and cherry tomatoes or cucumbers

Dinner
Salmon and spinach- I line a baking dish with aluminum foil and then lay down a bed of spinach (a couple of handfuls) then I place the salmon on top and sprinkle on a little bit of sea salt and cracked pepper.  I fold the foil around the salmon and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Salmon is such a nice, fatty fish that the oils seep into the spinach and make it oh, so yummy!!!
or
4 oz chicken and salad (whatever is chopped up, so I can just throw it all together) and Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (Lite)

PM Snack
If I'm really hungry then I will make a protein smoothie with lots of ice, a little water and chocolate protein powder.  If I'm really, really hungry and a little bit naughty (so almost every night) I'll add in a little all natural peanut butter.  My goal is to only eat 1 serving of nuts a day, so often I will divide the 1 oz serving between breakfast and my mid afternoon snack.

The total for all of this, including the PM snack is around 1600 calories.  I still need to work on increasing my  intake of carbohydrates from veggies because this breaks down to about 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fats.  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are my high calorie burn days so I usually eat more on those days.  Now that my mileage is up to 18 miles and increasing for my Saturday long runs, I'm letting myself have that be a freebie day.  I usually use that as my day to go out to eat and get dessert too.  Sundays are my most difficult day because they are notoriously days of gluttony in my home and extended family dinners.  Now that the weather is warmer I am using this day to take my dog for a walk in an attempt to stay out of the kitchen. I'm also keeping my portions smaller, but still eating my 5-6 meals. It hasn't really helped that much, but I'm working on it.  As for the other days, I have good days and bad days too.  I still love and crave chocolate every single minute of each day.  I haven't been buying dark chocolate and I make my kids hide all sweets from me.  My daughter has become the sweets police with me and since she is a lot like me, I'm kind of scared of crossing her.  I guess whatever works!  I love popcorn and I will either make it clean or else eat Jolly Time Healthy Pop-kettle corn.  It's probably not the cleanest choice, but it helps to curb my sweet tooth.